Vitamin E and mast cells.

Zingg JM. at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.reported in 2007, that "Mast cells play an important role in the immune system by interacting with B and T cells and by releasing several mediators involved in activating other cells.

Hyperreactivity of mast cells and their uncontrolled accumulation in tissues lead to increased release of inflammatory mediators contributing to the pathogenesis of several diseases such ... as asthma.

Interference with mast cell proliferation, survival, degranulation, and migration by synthetic or natural compounds may represent a preventive strategy for the management of these diseases.

Natural vitamin E covers a group of eight analogues-the alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherols and the alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocotrienols, but only alpha-tocopherol is efficiently retained by the liver and distributed to peripheral tissues.

In addition to scavenging free radicals, the natural vitamin E analogues differently modulate signal transduction and gene expression in several cell lines; in mast cells, protein kinase C, protein phosphatase 2A, and protein kinase B are affected by vitamin E, leading to the modulation of proliferation, apoptosis, secretion, and migration. In this chapter, the possibility that vitamin E can prevent diseases with mast cells involvement by modulating signal transduction and gene expression is evaluated." ²³²

This study suggests a benefit from using natural (vs synthetic) vitamin E and mixed tocopherols.

Our Adult Protocol calls for 400 IU daily of natural Vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopheryl succinate) and 34 mg of mixed natural Tocopherols (d-Gamma, D-delta, d-Beta tocopherol)