Extension of the lifespan of cultured normal human diploid cells by vitamin E: a reevaluation

Abstract

It has been previously reported that the lifespan of WI 38 human diploid fibroblasts in vitro was significantly increased by continuously growing the cell cultures in the presence of vitamin E (dl α tocopherol), but in 19 subsequent subcultivation series these findings could not be reproduced. While vitamin E is incorporated into the cells and is able to act effectively as an antioxidant, apparently its intracellular antioxidant properties alone do not routinely result in an increase of cell lifespan. A synergism between vitamin E and some component(s) in the first of 2 lots of serum used in the original experiments seems the most likely explanation for the authors' earlier findings.