title: Serotonin metabolism and release in frontal cortex of rats on a vitamin E-deficient diet.
abstract: Rats were fed a control or vitamin E (all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate)-deficient diet for 3 or 12 weeks. Serotonin (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), tryptophan, and alpha-tocopherol concentrations were determined in the frontal cortex using HPLC, alpha-Tocopherol concentrations fell significantly to 27% of control values at 12 weeks. Tissue 5-HT, 5-HIAA, and tryptophan concentrations were not significantly altered by the vitamin E-deficient diet at either time point. In vivo microdialysis revealed normal basal and K(+)-stimulated concentrations of 5-HT and 5-HIAA, but extracellular concentrations of tryptophan were significantly decreased after 3 weeks on the vitamin E-deficient diet, which resulted in an increase in the tissue/extracellular ratio and suggested a change in compartmentation. However, after 12 weeks on the deficient diet these values had returned to normal. Results in general indicate that a prolonged and substantial depletion of brain vitamin E can occur without major disturbance of serotonergic function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Neurology, London, England.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Heslop
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Goss-Sampson
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Curzon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism*; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000378:metabolism; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D014364:Tryptophan