title: Alpha-tocopherol concentrations of the nervous system and selected tissues of adult dogs fed three levels of vitamin E.
abstract: The effects of dietary vitamin E levels on tissue alpha-tocopherol (alpha-T) concentrations in different parts of the nervous system are largely unknown. Therefore, we measured the alpha-T contents of nervous and other tissues obtained from beagle dogs fed for two years a vitamin E-deficient diet (-E, 0.05 +/- 0.02 mg vitamin E/kg diet, n = 2), a vitamin E-supplemented diet (+E, 114 +/- 14 mg/kg, n = 2), or a standard chow diet (En, 74 +/- 6 mg/kg, n = 3). Brain regions and spinal cords of +E dogs contained about double the alpha-T concentrations of En dogs, and about 10-fold those of -E dogs. The various brain regions of -E dogs, compared with En dogs, retained 12-18% of the alpha-T concentrations, with the exception of the caudal colliculus, which retained 48%. Peripheral nerve alpha-T concentrations in +E dogs (67 ng/mg wet weight) were nearly 5-fold higher than in En dogs (13.4 +/- 5.9 ng/mg) and 80-fold higher than in -E dogs (0.8 ng/mg). Within each dietary group, the lowest alpha-T concentrations in the central nervous system (CNS) were in the spinal cord. Peripheral nerves were the most susceptible to vitamin E repletion or depletion: in +E dogs, nerves contained higher concentrations of alpha-T than most brain regions; in En dogs, they contained similar concentrations; but in -E dogs, they contained less alpha-T than most brain regions. Muscles and other tissues of -E dogs retained from 1 to 10% of En values.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Scott-Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Alabama 36849.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Pillai
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Traber
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Steiss
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kayden
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Cox
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E