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Role of Diet Lipids in the Appearance of Dystrophy and Creatinuria in the Vitamin E-Deficient Rat^1,2,

L. B. Mendel Research Laboratory, Elgin State Hospital, Elgin, and Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois

In rats fed unsaturated fatty acids to the extent found in 15% of corn oil, supplements of 0.4 mg of d--tocopherol per week permitted normal growth and prevented increased nucleic acid phosphorus levels in skeletal muscle, while 0.7 mg per week prevented increased creatinuria and higher labeling of muscle nucleic acids with formate-C¹⁴.

Renewed weight gain was observed in rats supplemented with 1.5 and 6.0 mg per week following a period of 71 weeks of feeding a 15% corn oil tocopherol-deficient diet, but only partial reversal of the creatinuria was seen in animals given as much as 6.0 mg per week.

Muscular dystrophy and increased creatine excretion were produced to a high degree of tocopherol-deficient rats fed 7% cod liver oil, 7% linseed oil, and 15% corn oil diets, to a lesser degree in those given 15% of olive oil, and not at all in animals fed 15% of coconut oil or 0.2% of corn oil (low fat). After 32 weeks, severe depletion and considerable brown discoloration of depot fat were seen in vitamin E-deficient rats fed the cod liver oil and linseed oil diets. When 15% of corn oil was fed, the depot fat was depleted but only mildly discolored. No changes were seen in the adipose tissue of rats given 15% of coconut oil or 0.2% of corn oil.

Tocopherol requirement appeared to be related to the amount of peroxidizable fatty acids ingested and/or stored in the tissues.

² A preliminary report of this work was given at the 1960 meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Chicago: Century, B., and M. K. Horwitt 1960 Metabolic changes in tocopherol deficient rats. Federation Proc., 19: 222 (abstract).

Manuscript received 9 June 1960.