Effects of maternal vitamin E and selenium status during the perinatal period on age-related changes in tissue concentration of vitamin E in rat pups
1996
Pazak, H.E. | Scholz, R.W.
Long-Evans hooded female rats previously acclimated to one of four experimental diets differing in their vitamin E (E) and selenium (Se) contents were used in these studies. The basal diet (-E -Se) was marginal in E (15 lU/kg) and Se (0.03 mg/kg) content. Three additional diets, -E, +Se, +E -Se and +E +Se were prepared by supplementing the basal diet with dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate to contain 150 IU/kg or with sodium selenite to contain 0.5 mg/kg, as required. The rats were mated and the pups born were used to provide plasma, heart, lung and liver tissue for E analyses at postpartum intervals from birth (prior to nursing) to 21 days of age. Differences in Se nutrition of the dams during the perinatal period did not affect the E content of tissues of the rat pups. There were no significant differences (P < 0.05) in E content of plasma or liver tissue at birth in rat pups regardless of the maternal E status. Heart and lung tissue, however, were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in E concentration at birth in pups whose dams were fed the +E diets. Rat pups nursing-Edams had consistently low E content in each of the tissues throughout the postpartum period which did not differ from levels determined prior to nursing. Pups nursing +E dams had elevated E concentration in each of the tissues during the postpartum period. Liver tissue provided the most remarkable response in that E concentration increased approximately 30-fold within 4 days postpartum and then decreased abruptly. The results of these studies suggest a differential transfer of E to rat tissues during gestation. Net placental transfer of E to fetal liver appeared to be very low and was not influenced by marked differences in maternal dietary E. In contrast, preferential incorporation into heart and lung tissue during gestation was shown by the data. In all tissues, increased E content following birth was attributed to ingestion of colostrum and milk containing elevated amounts of the vitamin.
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