Vitamin Concentration and Function of Leukocytes from Dairy Calves, Supplemented with Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and ß-Carotene In Vitro

¹ Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506

Blood neutrophils and pulmonary alveolar macrophages, isolated from calves at 3 and 6 wk of age, were cultured in medium without added vitamins or supplemented with 100 µg/dl of vitamin A, 1000 µg/dl of vitamin E, 100 µg/dl of vitamin A plus 1000 µg/dl of vitamin E, or .25 µg/dl of ß-carotene plus 1000 µg/ dl of vitamin E. Macrophage bactericidal activity improved with supplementation of vitamins A plus E compared with supplementation of ß-carotene plus E or vitamin E at wk 3. Neutrophil bactericidal activity decreased with all vitamin E treatments at wk 3 and with vitamins E or A plus E at wk 6. Neutrophil phagocytosis improved at wk 3 with supplementations of vitamins A, E, and A plus E. The chemotactic index improved with ß-carotene and vitamin E compared with vitamin E alone at wk 3 and at wk 6 with vitamin E compared with vitamin A and control treatments. Retinol content of neutrophils varied at wk 3, but, by wk 6, cells supplemented with vitamins A, E, or A plus E had greater retinol concentrations than control cells. Neutrophil -tocopherol concentrations at wk 3 increased from those of controls with supplementation of vitamin E or ß-carotene and vitamin E, but, at wk 6, vitamin E-supplemented cells were different only from vitamin A-supplemented cells. These data suggest that optimal plasma concentrations of vitamins A and E exist for leukocyte function.

Key Words: retinol • -tocopherol • ßbeta;-carotene • neutrophils • macrophages

Submitted on March 25, 1993
Accepted on September 30, 1993

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