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Depletion of adipose tissue and peripheral nerve α‐tocopherol in adult dogs
Author(s) -
Pillai Shreekumar R.,
Traber Maret G.,
Steiss Janet E.,
Kayden Herbert J.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/bf02537076
Subject(s) - lipidology , adipose tissue , tocopherol , clinical chemistry , neurochemistry , medicine , endocrinology , peripheral nerve , neurology , anatomy , pathology , biology , vitamin e , neuroscience , biochemistry , antioxidant
To assess the relationship between tissue α‐tocopherol depletion and histopathologic or functional changes in nervous tissue, a longitudinal study of male 1‐year‐old beagle dogs, two fed a vitamin E‐deficient diet (0.05±0.02 mg α‐tocopherol/kg;—E dogs) and two fed a vitamin E‐supplemented diet (114±14 mg α‐tocopherol/kg; +E dogs), was carried out. Plasma and adipose tissue α‐tocopherol concentrations neurological examinations, and sensory and motor nerve conduction velocities were determined at approximately 8‐wk, intervals over 109 wk. Tibial nerve α‐tocopherol concentrations were measured at 65 and 109 wk; adjacent sections were examined for histologic changes. In the two—E dogs, plasma α‐tocopherols declined linearly on a semilog plot to <0.1 μg/mL by 109 wk. Plasma α‐tocopherol concentrations were depleted to half of the initial concentrations in approximately 87 d. Adipose tissue α‐tocopherol concentrations (based on wet weight, cholesterol or triglyceride) also declined linearly on semilog plots, and were deleted to half of the initial concentrations in approximately 120 d. Tibial nerve α‐tocopherols (ng/μg cholesterol) in—E dogs decreased to 16% of average +E at 65 wk, and to 2% at 109 wk. neurologic examinations, histologies and nerve conduction velocities were normal in all dogs throughout the study. Our results demonstrate in dogs that depletion of plasma, adipose tissue and nerve α‐tocopherol precedes histologic and functional changes in peripheral nerves during vitamin E deficiency.