408 VITAMIN E CONTENT OF TISSUES OBTAINED FROM HUMAN INFANTS GIVEN PHARMACOLOGIC DOSES OF TOCOPHEROL OF TOCOPHERYL OR ACETATE INTRAVENOUSLY

Abstract

Tissues obtained from infants who had received varying doses of vitamin E were analyzed for tocopherol (T) and tocopheryl acetate (TA) content by HPLC. IV administration of TA (27-48 U/kg/day for 9-42 days) resulted in liver TA levels from 30-500 ug/g and T levels from 0-4135 ug/g. TA and T levels in kidney tissue ranged from 0-36 ug/g and 0-189 ug/g, respectively. The method of tissue preservation employed (type of fixative, storage temperature) may account for the lower range of TA and T values observed in these tissues. Lower IV doses of TA (3-6 U/day for 21-52 days) resulted in levels of TA in liver of 0-27 ug/g and T levels of 12-30 ug/g. One infant given a single 20 mg/kg IV dose of T 3 hrs prior to death had 382 ug/g of T in the liver and no TA. Infants given only nutritional amounts of T or TA orally (2-25 U/day) have T levels of less than 20 ug/g in the liver, kidney, and lung.

These results indicate that the amounts of T and TA are significantly increased in tissues, particularly the liver, in infants receiving pharmacologic doses of TA intravenously. The significance of T and TA tissue levels relative to efficacy or toxicity of vitamin E therapy in infants remains to be established.

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