Effect of vitamin E on the immunoreactivity of spleen cells in hyperlipidaemic rats.

Atherogenic (lipid-rich) diet suppressed mitogen-induced lymphocyte blastogenic responses in rats. Supplementation with vitamin E completely abolished the suppressive effect of the diet. The atherogenic diet also decreased the tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) activity produced by spleen macrophages, however, vitamin E supplementation failed to abolish this effect. Diet or supplementation had no measurable action on interleukin-1 (IL-1) production of macrophages.