Interaction of vitamin E isoforms on asthma and allergic airway disease

Abstract

Prospective epidemiological studies, observational cross-sectional studies and some randomised prevention trials have demonstrated inconsistent findings of the impact of vitamin E on asthma risk. The goals of this study were to explore whether this differing association of vitamin E on asthma risk is due to an interaction of vitamin E isoforms. To address this question, in a population-based asthma incidence study we assessed the interaction between the plasma concentrations of vitamin E isoforms α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol on asthma risk. Second, to understand the mechanisms of any interaction of these isoforms, we conducted experimental supplementation of α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol isoforms in mice on the outcome of allergic airway inflammation. We found that in the highest γ-tocopherol tertile, low levels of α-tocopherol were associated with increased asthma risk, while highest tertile α-tocopherol levels trended to be protective. Similarly, in a mouse model of asthma, diet supplementation with α-tocopherol decreased lung inflammation in response to house dust mite (HDM) challenge. In contrast, diet supplementation with γ-tocopherol increased lung inflammation in response to HDM. These human and animal studies provide evidence for the competing effects of the vitamin E isoforms, in physiological concentrations, on asthma and allergic airway disease.

Integrative analysis of the intestinal metabolome of childhood asthma

“…Vitamin E has antioxidant properties and has been inconsistently linked to reduced risk of asthma. 47 In contrast and consistent with our findings, the g-tocopherol form, which has increased in Western diets over recent decades, 48 has been associated with increased asthma risk or severity, [48][49][50] although some analyses find anti-inflammatory effects. 51 The systems effects of dietary vitamin E intake on the microbiome and metabolome are worthy of further investigation and might have relevance to asthma.…”

Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health

“…Endothelial cells pretreated with α -tocopherol are less prone to let the lymphocytes and eosinophils migrate, while the opposite is true when pretreated with γ -tocopherol, this is due to the fact that the first strategy decreases VCAM-1 expression, while the latter increases it [ 80 ]. This phenomenon was observed even in vivo, in a mouse model of allergic lung inflammation [ 80 , 81 ].…”

Relationship between Oxidative Stress, Physical Activity, and Vitamin Intake in Patients with Asthma

“…On the other hand, Cook-Mills J et al reported that the risk of asthma is increased in low levels of α-tocopherol with high levels of γ-tocopherol. 51 Again, further study is necessary to clarify the relationships between α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol in patients with established asthma.…”