Dietary supplementation of vitamin E fails to prevent the development of hyperoxic lung injury in the premature guinea pig.
1. The benefit of dietary vitamin E supplementation in preventing oxidative-induced lung injury was investigated. Three day preterm guinea pig pups were exposed to hyperoxic (85% O2) or normoxic (21% O2) conditions. The animals were fed either a standard low birthweight human infant formula milk (6.4 mg/l vitamin E), or a vitamin E supplemented milk (100 mg/l) for up to 7 days. 2. After 3 days vitamin E supplementation, plasma but not erythrocyte vitamin E concentrations were elevated, while following 7 days both plasma and erythrocyte vitamin E concentrations were significantly increased. 3. Lung and liver vitamin E concentrations were elevated at both 3 and 7 days. At 3 days the increase in lung vitamin E was oxygen-dependent, suggesting that the lung increases uptake of vitamin E in response to oxidative stress. 4. Despite an increase in the vitamin E concentration of the lungs of preterm guinea pigs, no amelioration of the lung injury was observed. These results suggest that although vitamin E is a potent antioxidant, it is unable to protect adequately the lungs from reactive oxygen species in the absence of sufficient primary enzymatic antioxidant defences.
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Southampton, U.K.
S C
SC
Langley
G J
GJ
Phillips
S
S
Tahedl
F J
FJ
Kelly
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D055370:Lung Injury; D010100:Oxygen; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
D011506:Proteins; D014810:Vitamin E; D010100:Oxygen