THE EFFECT OF VITAMIN E ON THE MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION OF COLD EXPOSED RATS / 营养学报

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the effect of Vitamin E on mitoc bond rial function of cold exposed rats male weaning rats were divided randomly into three groups. The group A was supplemented with 30 mg ?-tocopherol and 15?g sodium selenite per 100gm basal diet. The group B and C were fed basal diet on- ly. The group A and B were kept at the cold room (-2?1℃) and the group C kept at room temperature. Liver mitochondria were isolated for measurement of its respiratory function. Succinate was utilized as substrates of oxidative phosphorylation. Respiration rates of state 3 oxygen uptake and therefore ATP synthesis were found to increase with Vitamin E supplemented diet. Significantly less decline of ADP/O ratios and RCR was observed for group A than that of group B. These results suggest that Vitamin E has the effect of maintaining the physiological intactness of mitochondria of the cold exposed rats, and therefore may enhance the metabolic conservation of energy with the consequence of increasing the ability of cold tolerance of the cold exposed animals.