RRR‐α‐Tocopheryl succinate inhibition of lectin‐induced T cell proliferation

Abstract The effect of RRR‐α‐tocopheryl succinate (VES) on lectin‐induced chicken T cell proliferation was investigated. The T cell mitogens concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin induce chicken thymic and splenic T cell proliferation. Addition of VES to the in vitro cultures inhibited T cell proliferation in a dose‐dependent manner. Addition of VES to spleen cell cultures at different times after mitogen stimulation also suppressed T cell mitogenesis, suggesting that VES is not mediating its antiproliferative effects by interfering with ligand (mitogen)‐receptor binding or early ligand‐bound receptor‐signaling events. Three lines of evidence suggest that the growth‐inhibitory properties of VES are unique and may not involve antioxidant properties. 1) Three other forms of vitamin E, dl‐α‐tocopherol, d‐α‐tocopherol, and d‐α‐tocopherol acetate, do not inhibit the proliferation of mitogen‐stimulated chicken spleen cells. 2) Spleen cells were treated with an inhibitor of nonspecific esterases to prevent the co...