TOCOPHEROLS IN VARTOT'S METABOLIC' PROCESSES 720 



exerts anj^ effect upon the hematopoietic functions of blood. ^' Mtamin E 

 docs counteract the leucocytosis which occurs in vitamin E-deficient 

 ral)bits.''^' However, Diiuiing'"' does not consider this to l)e proof that the 

 leucocytosis exhibited b}^ rabluts suffering from nutritional nuiscular 

 dystrophy is a dii-ect result of vitamin E-deficiency. 



h. The Role of Vitamin E in the Deposition of Adipose Tissue. When 

 vitamin E is deficient in the diet over a i)rolonged period, the proportion 

 of adipose tissue is decreased; this accounts for the plateau in the body 

 weight occurring during early adult life, and also for the emaciated appear- 

 ance of rats in advanced stages of vitamin E-deficiency. As a result of the 

 study on mice, Menschik and co-workers -^^•^^- concluded that vitamin E 

 deficiency reduces the ability of the animal to deposit fat, both that ingested 

 in the diet and that synthesized in the body. 



When a large proportion of polyunsaturated ac^ids are contained in the 

 dietary fat fed to animals on vitamin E-deficient diets, a broA\mish dis- 

 coloration of the subcutaneous and intraperitoneal adipose tissue occurs. 

 This result was demonstrated by Mason et al}^'^ when the diet contained 

 20% of cod liver oil, and by Granados, Mason, and Dam^^^ when the highly 

 unsaturated fractions of cod liver oil were fed. Filer et al.^'-" likewise proved 

 that the bro^^'n pigmentation results when the methyl esters of linseed, corn, 

 and soybean oils are added to the diet. Presumably the changes do not 

 occur with the corresponding unsaponified oils, because of their high 

 tocopherol content. In the case of cod liver oil, the tocopherol content is 

 too low to counteract these changes; therefore the pigmentation occurs 

 both when the whole fat is given and when the highl}^ unsaturated frac- 

 tions are used. These fat depots, which presumably contain a considerable 

 portion of highly unsaturated fats, have a large content of peroxides, which 

 may be demonstrated both chemically-"' and by histochemical proce- 

 dures. ^''''"^^^ Although tocopherol therapy will inhibit further pigmentation, 

 it does not appreciably decrease the coloration already existing in the 

 tissues. This condition is widely distributed among different species, in- 

 cluding the mouse,^'^ the hamster,-'^ the pig^347,34s g^j^^ ^j^p mink-^'^'^^^ 



3" J. S. Dinning, Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med., 79, 231-232 (1952). 

 342 Z. Menschik, Edinburgh Med., J., 51, 486-489 (1944). 



3« H. Granados, K. E. Mason, and H. Dam, Acta Pathol. Microbiol. Scand., 24, 86-95 

 (1947). 



^'* H. Granados and H. Dam, Acta Pathol. Microbiol. Scand., 27, 591-596 (1950). 



^■•^ J. Glavind, H. Granados, S. Hartmann, and H. Dam, Experientia, 5, 84-85 (1949). 



3« H. Dam, Ann. New York Acad. Sci., 52, 195-199 (1949). 



3"K. L. Robinson and W. E. Coey, Nature, 168, 997-998 (1951). 



'•« J. R. Gorham, N. Boe, and G. A. Baker, Cornell Vet., 41, 332-338 (1951). 



3" J. R. Gorham, G. A. Baker, and N. Boe, Vet. Med., 46, 100-102 (1951). 



