EFFECTS OF MATERNAL VITAMIN-E AND SELENIUM STATUS DURING THE PERINATAL-PERIOD ON AGE-RELATED-CHANGES IN TISSUE CONCENTRATION OF VITAMIN-E IN RAT PUPS

Long-Evans hooded female rats previously acclimated to one of four exp erimental diets differing in their vitamin E (E) and selenium (Se) con tents were used in these studies, The basal diet (-E -Se) was marginal in E (15 IU/kg) and Se (0.03 mg/kg) content. Three additional diets, -E, +Se, +E -Se and +E +Se were prepared by supplementing the basal di et with dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate to contain 150 IU/kg or with sodiu m selenite to contain 0.5 mg/kg, as required. The mrs were mated and t he pups born were used to provide plasma, heart, lung and liver tissue for E analyses at postpartum intervals from birth (prior to nursing) to 21 days of age. Differences in Se nutrition of the dams during the perinatal period did not affect the E content of tissues of the rat pu ps. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in E content of p lasma or liver tissue at birth in rat pups regardless of the maternal E status. Heart and lung tissue, however, were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in E concentration at birth in pops whose dams were fed the E diets. Rat pups nursing -E dams had consistently low E content in ea ch of the tissues throughout the postpartum period which did not diffe r from levels determined prior to nursing. Pops nursing +E darns had e levated E concentration in each of the tissues during the postpartum p eriod. Liver tissue provided the most remarkable response in that E co ncentration increased approximately 30-fold within 4 days postpartum a nd then decreased abruptly. The results of these studies suggest a dif ferential transfer off to rat tissues during gestation. Net placental transfer off to fetal liver appeared to be very low and was not influe nced by marked differences in maternal dietary E. In contrast, prefere ntial incorporation into heart and lung tissue during gestation was sh own by the data. In all tissues, increased E content following birth w as attributed to ingestion of colostrum and milk containing elevated a mounts of the vitamin.