Alteration of α‐Tocopherol Content in the Developing and Aging Peripheral Nervous System: Persistence of High Correlations with Total and Specific (n‐6) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

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Abstract
In contrast to brain, the scialic nerve concentration of vitamin E in rats increased rapidly during the postnatal period (approximately fivefold between days 1 and 8), then decreased dramatically (about twofold between days 8 and 30), and further decreased slowly between days 30 and 60 and remained constant up to 2 years. Although the sciatic nerve concentration of vitamin E decreased by 58% between days 8 and 30, the concentration of vitamin E in serum presented a marked decrease (∼75%). The vitamin E concentrations varied in a similar pattern in whole sciatic nerve and in endoneurium and showed a very close correlation (r= 0.94). The age‐related changes in fatty acid concentration of the endoneurial fraction of the sciatic nerve were characterized by a large increase in content of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids up to 6 months (twofold for saturated and fourfold for monounsaturated fatty acids). Then, up to 24 months, the amount of these fatty acids decreased very slowly. The content of (n‐6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) decreased rapidly up to 1 year and slowly afterward. In contrast, during development the amount of (n‐3) PUFA was relatively stable and decreased during aging. A highly significant correlation between vitamin E and (n‐6) PUFA [18:2(n‐6), 20:4(n‐6), and total (n‐6)) was observed but not between (n‐3) PUFA and vitamin E. It is suggested that there may be a relationship between vitamin E and (n‐6) PUFA in the PNS membranes during development and aging.

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