Vitamin E Deficiency in the Monkey

Abstract

The concentrations of tissue nucleic acids and muscle creatine were determined on vitamin E-deficient, normal, and recovered monkeys. Vitamin E deficiency resulted in an elevated concentration of skeletal muscle desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and an elevated concentration of bone marrow DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA). The bone marrow RNA/DNA ratio was elevated in vitamin E-deficient monkeys. All these changes were reversed with tocopherol therapy. Skeletal muscle creatine was reduced in vitamin E-deficient monkeys and only partially restored toward normal in recovered animals.