α-Tocopherol Inhibits the Respiratory Burst in Human Monocytes

Abstract

Vitamin E (α-tocopherol), one of the most important natural antioxidants, is assumed to be beneficial in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. α-Tocopherol exhibits acyl-peroxyl-radical scavenger properties and exerts cell-mediated actions in the hemovascular compartment, such as inhibition of superoxide anion (O2/-·) production by leukocytes. The aim of this study was to examine the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of α-tocopherol on O2/-· production by human monocytes. In activated monocytes O2/-· is produced by the NADPH-oxidase enzyme complex. The oxidase activation elicited by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) requires membrane translocation of several cytosolic factors. We found that in human PMA-stimulated adherent monocytes, α-tocopherol (but not β-tocopherol) inhibited O2/-· production in intact cells but had not effect on a membrane preparation containing activated NADPH-oxidase, suggesting that α- tocopherol impairs the assembly process of the enzyme complex. We showed that translocation and phosphorylation of the cytosolic factor p47(phox) were reduced in monocytes preincubated with α-tocopherol. We verified that the tryptic phosphopeptide map of monocyte p47(phox) was similar to that of neutrophil p47(phox), indicating that several serine residues were phosphorylated. Peptides whose phosphorylation is dependent on protein kinase C (PKC) were phosphorylated to a lesser degree when p47(phox) was immunoprecipitated from α-tocopherol-treated monocytes. In vitro, the activity of PKC from monocytes was inhibited by α-tocopherol in a specific manner compared with that of β-tocopherol or Trolox®. Membrane translocation of PKC was not affected. These results show that α-tocopherol inhibits O2-· production by human adherent monocytes by impairing the assembly of the NADPH-oxidase and suggest that the inhibition of phosphorylation and translocation of the cytosolic factor p47(phox) results from a decrease in PKC activity.