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Updated: May 11, 2026

In Vivo Assessment of Alveolar Macrophage Efferocytosis Following Ozone Exposure
Published on: October 22, 2019
Effects of ex vivo γ-tocopherol on airway macrophage function in healthy and mild allergic asthmatics
Marianne Geiser1, John C Lay, William D Bennett
1Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, N.C., USA.
Abstract:
Elevated inflammation and altered immune responses are features found in atopic asthmatic airways. Recent studies indicate γ-tocopherol (GT) supplementation can suppress airway inflammation in allergic asthma. We studied the effects of in vitro GT supplementation on receptor-mediated phagocytosis and expression of cell surface molecules associated with innate and adaptive immunity on sputum-derived macrophages. Cells from nonsmoking healthy (n = 6) and mild house dust mite-sensitive allergic asthmatics (n = 6) were treated ex vivo with GT (300 µM) or saline (control). Phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan A bioparticles (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and expression of surface molecules associated with innate and adaptive immunity were assessed using flow cytometry. GT caused significantly decreased (p < 0.05) internalization of attached zymosan bioparticles and decreased (p < 0.05) macrophage expression of CD206, CD36 and CD86 in allergic asthmatics but not in controls. Overall, GT caused downregulation of both innate and adaptive immune response elements, and atopic status appears to be an important factor.
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