730 XI. VITAMINS E (tocopherols) 



celeration of dystroi^hy symptoms in the laml> when this dfug was gi\'en. 

 An increased rate of degeneration of the testis, and irre\Trsi})le sterihty, 

 have also been ol)ser\'ed in the rat under such conditions. •''•"'•'"'" 



There is some indication that the excretion of creatine and of allantoin 

 is increased in rats and raljbits deficient in both vitamin B^ and Aatamin 

 g 155,401 Supplementation of the diet with either of these vitamins pre- 

 vents this increase. A similar relationship is said to exist between vita- 

 mins E and K."*"- Absence of these two vitamins produced heart muscle 

 lesions in mice fed purified diets supplemented with sulfaguanidine. 

 Moore et al^°^ observed that the rapid and pronounced hemoglobinuria 

 produced in rats on a vitamin E-deficient diet by the intramuscular in- 

 jection of Synkavit (tetra-sodium-2-methyl-l,4-naphthohydroquinone di- 

 phosphate) could be counteracted by vitamin E. 



The toxicity of thyroid in chicks^''^ and in rats^"^ in accelerating the onset 

 of vitamin E-deficienc^^ symptoms can be prevented with a-tocopherol. 

 Moreover, this vitamin also inhibits the goiter-producing action of methyl- 

 thiouracil.^"^ Vitamin E is also of use in counteracting the hypoxic factor 

 in rabbits on low-\'itamin E diets. •^"^ Likewise, Taylor"*"'^ and Gerschman 

 et al.'^^^ reported that the resistance to hyperoxia, (high oxygen pressures) 

 is reduced in vitamin E deficiency. Presumably in the latter case, vitamin 

 E counteracts some abnormal cell metabolite which is formed imder such 

 conditions. It is therefore evident that the various physiologic actions of 

 vitamin E are extremely widespread. 



(4) The Importance of Tocopherols as Related 

 to Their Antioxidant Action 



The abihty of the tocopherols to act as antioxidants both in vivo and in 

 hitro was recognized at an early date. Many of the deficiencies resulting 



599 D. K. Myers, H. E. W. Mulder, and E. G. L. Simons, Biochem. J., 55, i (1953). 



^OR. H. S. Thompson, Chemistry and Industry, 1954, 749-751. 



«i J. M. Young, Jr., J. S. Dinning, and P. L. Day, Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med., 89, 

 216-217(1955). 



«2 F. I. Dessau, L. Lipchuck, and S. Klein, Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med., 87, 522-524 

 (1954). 



^^ T. Moore, I. M. Sharman, and R. F. Ward, Experimental Studies on Vitamin E, 

 Abst. Reports Third Intern. Congr. on Vitamin E, Venice, 1955, Vol. I., pp. 47-48. 



«4 R. S. Wheeler and J. D. Perkinson, Am. J. Physiol, 159, 287-290 (1949). 



«5 L. Tentori, G. Toschi, and G. Vivaldi, Boll. soc. ital. biol. sper., 29, 90-91 (1953). 



^ E. Gitsch and H. Tulzer, Wien. Med. Wochschr., 103, 124-125 (1933). 



«7 1. R. Telford, O. B. Wiswell, and E. L. Smith, Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med., 87, 

 162-164(1954). 



«8 D. W. Taylor, /. Physiol, 121, 47P-48P (1953). 



«3 R. Gerschman, D. L. Gilbert, S. W. Nye, and W. O. Fenn, Federation Proc, 14, 

 56 (1955). 



J 



