title: Regulatory mechanisms to control tissue alpha-tocopherol.
abstract: To test the hypothesis that hepatic regulation of alpha-tocopherol metabolism would be sufficient to prevent overaccumulation of alpha-tocopherol in extrahepatic tissues and that administration of high doses of alpha-tocopherol would up-regulate extrahepatic xenobiotic pathways, rats received daily subcutaneous injections of either vehicle or 0.5, 1, 2, or 10 mg alpha-tocopherol/100 g body wt for 9 days. Liver alpha-tocopherol increased 15-fold in rats given 10 mg alpha-tocopherol/100 g body wt (mg/100 g) compared with controls. Hepatic alpha-tocopherol metabolites increased with increasing alpha-tocopherol doses, reaching 40-fold in rats given the highest dose. In rats injected with 10 mg/100 g, lung and duodenum alpha-tocopherol concentrations increased 3-fold, whereas alpha-tocopherol concentrations of other extrahepatic tissues increased 2-fold or less. With the exception of muscle, daily administration of less than 2 mg/100 g failed to increase alpha-tocopherol concentrations in extrahepatic tissues. Lung cytochrome P450 3A and 1A levels were unchanged by administration of alpha-tocopherol at any dose. In contrast, lung P-glycoprotein (MDR1) levels increased dose dependently and expression of this xenobiotic transport protein was correlated with lung alpha-tocopherol concentrations (R(2)=0.88, p<0.05). Increased lung MDR1 may provide protection from exposure to environmental toxins by increasing alveolar space alpha-tocopherol.
authors.affiliation: Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
authors.forename: Debbie J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Mustacich
authors.forename: Anh T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Vo
authors.forename: Valerie D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Scott W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: Maret G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Traber
mesh_terms: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000737:chemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D000975:Antioxidants; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol