Effect of vitamin E deficiency on the level of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and lipid peroxide in rat liver.

The activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and xanthine oxidase were simultaneously studied in vitamin-E deficient and -supplemented rat liver and also measured the lipid peroxide content in liver. The lipid peroxide content of vitamin E-deficient rat liver, estimated by thiobarbituric acid, increased as compared with that of vitamin E-supplemented rat liver. No marked changes of activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase were observed, but the activity of xanthine oxidase which is strong superoxide generator increased in vitamin E-deficient rat liver. These results suggest that vitamin E prevents the accumulation of lipid peroxide, but not controls the level of peroxide scavenging system such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase.