OXYGEN CONSUMPTION IN VITAMIN E DEFICIENCY

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Abstract
The in vitro O2 consumption by the skeletal muscle of young rats born of vit. E deficient mothers was higher than that of litter-mates receiving a protective dose of 1 mg. synthetic a-tocopherol acetate on the loth day. This difference was noted even in the absence of microscopic alterations in the muscle fibers. The skeletal muscle of chicks on vit. E deficient diet had a higher in vitro consumption of O2 than that of chicks on a stock diet or on an E deficient diet supplemented by dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate. No effect of vit. E deficiency upon the in vitro uptake of rat liver could be detected. The total O2 consumption of rats on a stock diet, on a vit. E deficient diet, and on a vit. E deficient diet supplemented by a single dose of synthetic dl-a-tocopherol was detd. over a period ranging from 11 days-5 mos. of age. Following a single dose of a-tocopherol given on the 15th day, the O2 consumption was significantly lower than that of the untreated litter-mates. This difference persisted from the time of weaning (or recovery from the muscular dystrophy) until the 60th to the 70th day, corresponding to a wt. range of about 30-100 gs. During the development of the muscle disease (from about the 18th to 22nd day after birth), the O2 consumption of the E deficient group was decreased; this effect seemed to be a consequence of the reduced nutrition and activity during that period, since it could be imitated in partially fasted rats of the same age. Partial starvation towards the end of the nursing period did not, however, lead to protracted changes in the O2 consumption of rats on a stock diet. The O2 consumption of rats on a stock diet was similar to that of the vit. E deficient ones. No satisfactory explanation for this fact can be given.

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