MINIMAL REQUIREMENTS OF MALE AND FEMALE RATS FOR VITAMIN E

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Abstract
[male] rats deprived of vit. E from the beginning of life require it prior to the 40th to 50th day of age to prevent irreversible physiological disturbances in the germinal epithelium which antedate, by 10 days or more, the onset of histopathqlogical changes. The reproductive needs of the [female] rat arise subsequent to conception and implantation at any stage of the reproductive period. These qualitative differences must be considered in the evaluation of exptl. data interpreted as demonstrating the existence of separate anti-sterility factors, or the need of different amts. of a single factor, as between [male] and [female] rats. The daily oral adm. of 2 mg. of a wheat germ oil concentrate from the 10th day after weaning to depleted rats was equally effective in preventing sterility in [male] and [female], but 1 mg. or less was inadequate. Admin. of 0.0376 mg. of synthetic a-tocopherol caused a slight delay in the onset of testicular degeneration and permitted 2 out of 5 [female][female] to complete gestation; twice this dose proved more than adequate for the prevention of sterility in both sexes. The minimal protective thus lies between these two levels. The minimal daily requirements of vit. E for preventing sterility are essentially the same for both sexes and, on the basis of bio-assay tests, represent between 1/15 and 1/20 the mean fertility dose for adult [feamle] rats.