Vitamin E at high doses improves neurological function

[Guest guest]

Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2005 Nov;289(5):R1392-9.

Vitamin E at high doses improves survival, neurological performance,

and brain mitochondrial function in aging male mice.

Navarro A, Gomez C, -Pino MJ, H, Bandez MJ, Boveris

AD, Boveris A.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine,

University of Cadiz, Spain.

Male mice receiving vitamin E (5.0 g alpha-tocopherol acetate/kg of

food) from 28 wk of age showed a 40% increased median life span, from

61 +/- 4 wk to 85 +/- 4 wk, and 17% increased maximal life span,

whereas female mice equally supplemented exhibited only 14% increased

median life span. The alpha-tocopherol content of brain and liver was

2.5-times and 7-times increased in male mice, respectively. Vitamin E-

supplemented male mice showed a better performance in the tight-rope

(neuromuscular function) and the T-maze (exploratory activity) tests

with improvements of 9-24% at 52 wk and of 28-45% at 78 wk. The rates

of electron transfer in brain mitochondria, determined as state 3

oxygen uptake and as NADH-cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome

oxidase activities, were 16-25% and 35-38% diminished at 52-78 wk.

These losses of mitochondrial function were ameliorated by vitamin E

supplementation by 37-56% and by 60-66% at the two time points

considered. The activities of mitochondrial nitric oxide synthase and

Mn-SOD decreased 28-67% upon aging and these effects were partially

(41-68%) prevented by vitamin E treatment. Liver mitochondrial

activities showed similar effects of aging and of vitamin E

supplementation, although less marked. Brain mitochondrial enzymatic

activities correlated negatively with the mitochondrial content of

protein and lipid oxidation products (r2 = 0.58-0.99, P < 0.01), and

the rates of respiration and of complex I and IV activities

correlated positively (r2 = 0.74-0.80, P < 0.01) with success in the

behavioral tests and with maximal life span.