Vitamin E Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Vitamin E, including details on benefits, dosage, supplements, antioxidants.

Alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) induces rapid, nonsustained proliferation in cultured rat microglia.

Flanary BE, Streit WJ

Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine and McKnight Brain Institute,Gainesville, 32610-0244, USA.

Microglial cells undergo cell division in vitro, as well as in vivo after brain injury. Mitotic activity of microglia suggests that they have limited life spans and rely on self-renewal to replace senescent cells. In the current study we examined long-term effects of antioxidants vitamin E and alpha-lipoic acid on cultured rat microglia with respect to proliferative ability, telomere length, telomerase activity, and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) production. We report that vitamin E induces dramatic microglial proliferation, as measured by MTT assay and BrdU incorporation, surpassing that of the well-known microglial mitogen granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor, and therefore establishing vitamin E as the most potent, known mitogen for microglia in vitro. The high rate of microglial proliferation resulted in a concomitant decrease in telomere length and telomerase activity. Production of IL-1beta was significantly decreased in vitamin E-treated microglia in vitro. Our findings provide an impetus to investigate potential benefits of vitamin E supplementation on microglial renewal capacity in vivo during aging or after brain injury.

Published 1 March 2006 in Glia, 53(6): 669-74.
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