Availability of adipose tissue tocopherol in the guinea pig.
Young guinea pigs were fed a purified diet containing vitamin E for 3 weeks and then fed the diet without vitamin E for 8 weeks. Levels of vitamin E in plasma and liver decreased to low values within a week. Depletion rates for heart and muscle were much slower, whereas the rate of loss from fat was negligible. In experiments with more mature guinea pigs and a depletion period of 4 months, the depletion rate of tocopherol from fat was also barely detectable. Both yound and mature guinea pigs developed myopathy after 8 weeks of depletion. Apparently, tocopherol in adipose tissue is not sufficiently available to maintain plasma tocopherol levels or to prevent signs of vitamin E deficiency. Even during fasting, adipose tissue tocopherol was not mobilized readily. During a 4 day fast, adipose tissue mass diminished considerably, but there was no appreciable loss of tocopherol.
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000378:metabolism*; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism
D014810:Vitamin E