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Increased Activity of Pyruvate Kinase in Plasma of Vitamin E-deficient Rats¹

California Primate Research Center, and Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of California, Davis, California 95616

The effect of dietary vitamin E on activities of pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase was studied in tissues of rats. The activity of pyruvate kinase in plasma of 1-month-old male rats fed a vitamin E-deficient diet for 4 months increased 8.5-fold over that of 45 ppm vitamin E-supplemented animals. Relative to the supplemented group, the enzyme activity increased 23% (P < 0.001) in red blood cells, was unchanged in liver and lung, and decreased 20% (P < 0.001) in muscle of vitamin E-deficient rats. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase was not significantly altered by dietary vitamin E in all tissues measured. Similar results were obtained when 2-month-old rats were fed the respective diets for 3 months. The results suggest that vitamin E deficiency in rats may cause muscular damage and release of pyruvate kinase into blood circulation.

KEY WORDS: • vitamin E • pyruvate kinase • lactate dehydrogenase • rat tissues

¹ This research was supported in part by a Public Health Service grant HL 17218 from the Heart and Lung Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

Manuscript received 5 May 1975.