Tissue α-tocopherol status during late fetal and early neonatal life of the guinea-pig

• Published in: British journal of nutrition 1992-05, Vol.67 (3), p.457-462
• Main Authors: Kelly, Frank J., Safavi, Morteza, Cheeseman, Kevin H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: alpha-tocopherol; Animals; Animals, Newborn - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; blood plasma; brain; Brain - metabolism; Chronic lung disease; Enzymes. Coenzymes. Vitamins. Pigments; erythrocytes; Female; Fetal and Neonatal Nutritional Status; Fetus; Fetus - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Guinea Pigs; Guinea-pig; liver; Liver - metabolism; Lung - metabolism; lungs; maternal nutrition; Metabolisms and neurohumoral controls; mothers; neonates; nutritional status; Prematurity; Time Factors; Tissue Distribution; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; vitamin content; Vitamin E; Vitamin E - blood; Vitamin E - metabolism
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1079/BJN19920050

The α-tocopherol content of a number of different fetal, neonatal and maternal guinea-pig tissues was determined and compared with plasma and erythrocyte α-tocopherol values. During late gestation, the fetal liver appears to act as a storage site for α-tocopherol, the majority of which is released immediately following birth. In contrast, lung and brain vitamin E levels are relatively constant over the final period of gestation and during early neonatal life. The ontogeny of α-tocopherol in brain and lung was similar to that for erythrocytes while plasma α-tocopherol content varied considerably and did not accurately reflect tissue α-tocopherol status. Surprisingly, fetal and maternal lung α-tocopherol concentrations were similar at all time-points considered, whereas fetal liver α-tocopherol status was always considerably greater than maternal liver α-tocopherol content. These results, if representative of the human fetus, suggest that preterm infants may not have tissue α-tocopherol concentrations as low as previously assumed and that during the perinatal period erythrocyte α-tocopherol content is a more accurate indicator of tissue α-tocopherol concentration than plasma α-tocopherol content.