Synergistic action of vitamin E and vitamin C in vivo using a new mutant of Wistar-strain rats, ODS, unable to synthesize vitamin C.

It is well known that vitamins E and C exhibit synergistic action in in vitro systems, but with regard to in vivo systems, much of the available data are confusing. To elucidate this problem we used a new mutant of Wistar-strain rats that cannot synthesize vitamin C, namely, ODS rats. Two experiments were planned: (1) during development of vitamin E deficiency, whether vitamin C could spare the consumption of vitamin E; and (2) under conditions of a regular level of vitamin E intake, whether different dose levels of vitamin C can affect vitamin E concentration in tissues. The results obtained show that with vitamin C intake, higher levels of vitamin E were deposited in tissues in both experiments. With the development of vitamin E deficiency, rats in the group with a higher dose of vitamin C deposited higher concentrations of alpha-tocopherol. With simultaneous administration of vitamin E and vitamin C to the same mutant rats, the rats in the group with a higher dose of vitamin C deposited higher levels of vitamin E in all tissues tested. Thus, we concluded that vitamin C can spare the consumption of vitamin E in vivo as well as in vitro.