Influence of Alpha-Tocopherol upon Development of Cardiovascular Necrosis and Hypertension in the Rat.

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Abstract
A short-term method which induces cardiovascular necrosis and hypertension in the albino rat by way of obstructive nephropathy was used to test the claims of beneficial influence of alpha-tocopherol in excess in human cardiovascular disease. A synthetic diet was fed to groups of albino rats. The avg. daily intake of alpha-tocopherol in control animals was 0.8 mg. per rat. The exptl. diet was enriched to yield a daily consumption to 10 mg. alpha-tocopherol per rat. After 2 weeks, animals eating the enriched food received supplementary stomach tube feedings of the vit. (10 mg./100 g. body wt.) 3 times weekly for 4 weeks, since spontaneous food consumption drops sharply after production of renal injury. Kidney damage was induced following the 3d intubation. A control group was continued on the tocopherol enriched regimen without exposure to renal injury. Alpha-tocopherol in excess was tolerated without noticable ill effects or histological alterations by all control rats except for the emergence of moderate hypertension. On the other hand, disseminated muscular necrosis and hypertension following exptl. nephropathy in rats maintained on complete rations was not beneficially influenced by the presence of excessive amts. of alpha-tocopherol. On the contrary this drug appeared responsible for a higher incidence of advanced lesions in aorta, coronary arteries and stomach.