The stabilizing effect of vitamin E, selenium and zinc on leucocyte membrane permeability: a study in vitro

As the changed permeability of leucocyte membranes due to thermal injury causes an increase in serum enzyme levels, it has been assumed that prevention of this increase by membrane-stabilizing agents such as zinc, selenium and vitamin E may help the recovery of burned patients. In a study of 12 control and 12 burned patients with 20-30 per cent partial skin thickness burns, 2 X 10(6) leucocytes obtained from controls and patients have been pretreated first with vitamin E, zinc and selenium and their combinations for 30 min. Then the responses of these cells to zymosan stimulation (40 X 10(6) particles per 2 X 10(6) cells) were comparatively investigated. The release of acid phosphatase, chosen as a marker of lysosomal enzyme in this study, showed a significant increase in leucocytes from burned patients (P less than 0.01). Vitamin E, zinc and selenium prevented this increase of acid phosphatase significantly (P less than 0.01), and the effect of these compounds was found to be similar rather than additive. These results suggested that the addition of the membrane-stabilizing agents may help in the treatment of burned patients.