title: The effect of vitamin E on experimentally induced peritoneal adhesions in mice.
abstract: Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated that dietary supplementation with vitamin A enhances peritoneal adhesion formation in mice. Other researchers have shown that vitamin E antagonizes some effects of vitamin A in various systems, eg, wound healing. We investigated our hypothesis that dietary supplementation with vitamin E would decrease peritoneal adhesion formation. Adult mice were divided into the following groups: group 1, which ate a standard chow containing 65 IU of vitamin E per kilogram diet (twice the National Research Council's recommended daily allowance for normal mice); and group 2, which ate the same chow supplemented with vitamin E at 300 IU/kg diet (a nontoxic level). Following peritoneal ligation, all mice were killed on the tenth postoperative day and their peritoneal cavities examined for the presence and extent of adhesions. There was a statistically significant decrease in the incidence and degree of adhesions in the vitamin E-supplemented animals; these data supported our hypothesis.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D010532:Peritoneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E