Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology
Online ISSN : 1881-7742
Print ISSN : 0301-4800
ISSN-L : 0301-4800
Synergistic Action of Vitamin E and Vitamin C in Vivo Using a New Mutant of Wistar-Strain Rats, ODS, Unable to Synthesize Vitamin C
Osamu IGARASHIYukako YONEKAWAYoko FUJIYAMA-FUJIHARA
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1991 Volume 37 Issue 4 Pages 359-369

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Abstract

It is well known that vitamins E and C exhibit synergistic action in in vitro systems, but with regard to in vivo systems, much of the available data are confusing. To elucidate this problem we used a new nutant of Wistar-strain rats that cannot synthesize vitamin C, namely, DDS rats. Two experiments were planned: (1) during development of vitamin E deficiency, whether vitamin C could spare the consumption of vitamin E; and (2) under conditions of a regular level of vitamin E intake, whether different dose levels of vitamin C can affect vitamin E concentration in tissues. The results obtained show that with vitamin C intake, higher levels of vitamin E were deposited in tissues in both experiments. With the development of vitamin E deficiency, rats in the group with a higher dose of vitamin C deposited higher concentrations of α-tocopherol. With simultaneous administration of vitamin E and vitamin C to the same mutant rats, the rats in the group with a higher dose of vitamin C deposited higher levels of vitamin E in all tissues tested. Thus, we concluded that vitamin C can spare the consumption of vitamin E in vivo as well as in vitro.

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