Vitamin E deficiency and ion transport in rat-liver slices

Abstract

Rats were made deficient in vitamin E by feeding them on casein or yeast diets. Liver slices from these animals were unable to reaccumulate K removed by leaching in the cold. Cooled slices show a falling off in O2 uptake. These defects were not prevented by feeding with Se but were promptly reversed by giving a-tocopherol or by the addition of antioxidants to the incubation solution.It is concluded that the defect in vitro in O2 uptake by vitamin E-deficient tissues follows disturbances of ionic composition due to cooling.