title: Cornification of esophagus induced by excessive vitamin E.
abstract: The antagonistic effects of vitamin E on vitamin A were studied in chickens fed excessive amounts of vitamin E (700-7000 IU/kg diet) for 6 wk. Serum levels of vitamin A and vitamin E were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography at 2, 4, and 6 wk after vitamin E supplementation. Vitamin E in serum reached maximum levels 4 wk after supplementation. Vitamin E tended to ameliorate the normalization of serum levels of vitamin A. To examine the pathological lesions induced by excessive vitamin E in chickens, two to four chickens were necropsied every 2 wk after supplementation. The results in gross and microscopic lesions showed that cornification of esophageal mucous membrane was found in chickens supplemented with > or = 1400 IU/kg of vitamin E in diet for 6 wk. Lesions of this kind resemble those in vitamin A-deficient chickens and are the first to be induced by excess vitamin E.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D002645:Chickens; D004947:Esophagus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D007642:Keratosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E