Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and lipid metabolism in α-tocopherol deficient rats

Abstract Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in serum and hepatic subcellular organelles of rats were increased markedly after the feeding of a tocopherol deficient diet for 2–16 weeks. Although serum lipid concentrations from the rats fed the deficient diet for 2 weeks were significantly higher than those from the controls, there was no difference between the two groups after feeding for more than 4 weeks. However, a supplement of 2% cholesterol in these diets increased the serum cholesterol and phospholipid concentration in such tocopherol deficient rats. Refeeding of a tocopherol-rich diet to the deficient animals reduced the serum lipid concentrations concomitantly with the decrease of TBARS in serum and hepatic subcellular fractions. The tocopherol deficient animals showed lower synthetic activities of hepatic cholesterol and fatty acid as well as glucose-6-phosphatase in microsomes. These enzyme activities of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis in the deficient animals tended to be restored by the tocopherol administration.