Riboflavin in innate and acquired immune responses

Objective and Design: Riboflavin, also known as vitamin 132, is a micronutrient with a key role in maintaining human health. It has also been shown to enhance host resistance to bacterial infections in mice. The aim of this study was to assess the role of vitamin 132 treatment in inflammatory conditions. Subjects and Methods: Three models of inflammatory states were assessed. One of them encompasses neutrophil mediated but T cell/macrophage independent cutaneous inflammation. Another one is delayed type hypersensitivity reaction (DTH), a T cell/macrophage dependent but neutrophil independent inflammatory response. The third one is collagen-induced arthritis, having components from both of the above described reactions. Mice were treated with vitamin 132, administered by peritoneal injections, throughout the course of the experiments. Results: The granulocyte dependent reaction to olive oil was significantly reduced in vitamin 132 treated mice. In contrast, DTH reactivity and collagen II arthritis were not affected by the treatment. Conclusion: Riboflavin administration affects neutrophil migration but does not alter acquired immune responsiveness.