Effects of vitamin E on human platelet and mononuclear cell responses in vitro

Recent epidemiological studies have provided evidence supporting the potential benefits of antioxidants in coronary prevention. We have investigated the effects of vitamin E on platelets, monocytes and endothelial cells in vitro. Pre-incubation of platelets with vitamin E inhibited subsequent thrombin- (P < 0.05, n = 5), collagen- (P < 0. 0001, n = 5) and ADP-(P < 0.05, n = 4) induced platelet aggregation measured using a microtitre plate method, or conventional aggregometry. The adhesion of thrombin-activated platelets to collagen was also inhibited by vitamin E (P < 0.05, n = 8), but not by vitamin C (P > 0.05, n = 8); nor was the adhesion of unstimulated platelets significantly affected (P > 0.05, n = 8). Pre-incubation of monocytes with vitamin E inhibited their subsequent adhesion to plastic (P < 0.05, n = 9), and was also associated with an 18% reduction in adhesion to EA.hy 926 endothelial cells (n = 8), although this failed to reach statistical significance. Pre-incubation of the endothelial cells with vitamin E also significantly reduced subsequent mononuclear cell adhesion by 56% (P < 0.05, n = 3).