The Effect of Pretreatment with Vitamin E on the Effects of Endotoxin in Rat

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Abstract
Male rats (20) weighing about 100 g were treated s.c. with 25 mg .alpha.-tocopherol acetate. The rats were given 0.4 mg/100 g endotoxin i.p. 24 h after the pretreatment, and were sacrificed 18 h after the endotoxin injection. The lipid peroxide level as evaluated by the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value remained at the no-treatment level. In a similar group of rats not pretreated but given the same dose of endotoxin i.p., the TBA-value rose significantly. There were no statistically significant differences in the mean plasma alanine amino transferase (ALAT) and ornithine carbamyl transferase (OCT) activities or in the mean liver or plasma Zn concentrations between the endothoxin treated groups. The plasma OCT and ALAT activities were statistically significantly correlated with the liver TBA-values in both endotoxin-treated groups but the plasma Zn and OCT, or plasma Zn and ALAT were significantly correlated only in the group pretreated with vitamin E. In a control group of 20 animals not treated with either endotoxin or vitamin E the plasma Zn and vitamin E concentrations were statistically significantly (P < 0.05) correlated. The endotoxin effect on the liver is probably mediated by prostaglandin-like substances.