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Vitamin C supplementation reconstitutes polyfunctional T cells in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

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European Journal of Nutrition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

A NOTICE OF DISPUTED AUTHORSHIP to this article was published on 14 June 2012

Abstract

Background

Studies have demonstrated that vitamin C supplementation enhances the immune system, prevents DNA damage, and decreases the risk of a wide range of diseases. Other study reported that leukocyte vitamin C level was low in diabetic individuals compared with nondiabetic controls.

Aim of the work

To study the effect of vitamin C on oxidative stress, blood lipid profile, and T-cell responsiveness during streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type I diabetes mellitus.

Methods

Thirty male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly split into three groups. The first served as a control group (n = 10) in which rats were injected with the vehicle alone. The second (n = 10) and the third groups (n = 10) were rendered diabetic by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of single doses of STZ (60 mg/kg body weight). The third group was supplemented with vitamin C (100 mg/kg body weight) for 2 months.

Results

T lymphocytes from the diabetic rats were found to be in a stunned state, with a decreased surface expression of the CD28 costimulatory molecule, low levels of phosphorylated AKT, altered actin polymerization, diminished proliferation and cytokine production, and, eventually, a marked decrease in abundance in the periphery. Vitamin C was found to significantly decrease the elevated levels of blood hydroperoxide, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in diabetic rats. Furthermore, it was found to restore CD28 expression, AKT phosphorylation, actin polymerization, and polyfunctional T cells (IFN-γ- and IL-2-producing cells that exhibit a high proliferation capacity).

Conclusion

Vitamin C treatment restores and reconstitutes polyfunctional, long-lived T cells in diabetic rats.

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Abbreviations

CFSE:

Carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester

HDL-C:

High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol

ICS:

Intracellular cytokine staining

IFN-γ:

Interferon gamma

IL-2:

Interleukin 2

LDL-C:

Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol

PKB:

Protein kinase B (AKT)

STZ:

Streptozotocin

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Acknowledgments

This research project was supported by King Saud University, College of Science Research Center, Project No: Zoo/2009/48. We thank Dr. Emad Ahmed of Zoology department, Assiut University, for revising the manuscript and figures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Gamal Badr, Samir Bashandy, Hossam Ebaid & Mohamed Mohany

  2. Fetal Programming of Diseases Research Chair, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Gamal Badr

  3. Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

    Gamal Badr

  4. Clinical Pathology Department, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

    Douaa Sayed

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  1. Gamal Badr
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  2. Samir Bashandy
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Correspondence to Gamal Badr.

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Badr, G., Bashandy, S., Ebaid, H. et al. Vitamin C supplementation reconstitutes polyfunctional T cells in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Eur J Nutr 51, 623–633 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-011-0176-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-011-0176-5

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