Mice lacking alpha-tocopherol transfer protein gene have severe alpha-tocopherol deficiency in multiple regions of the central nervous system.

Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency is caused by mutations in alpha-tocopherol transfer protein (alpha-TTP) gene and it can be experimentally generated in mice by alpha-TTP gene inactivation (alpha-TTP-KO). This study compared alpha-tocopherol (alpha-T) concentrations of five brain regions and of four peripheral organs from 5 months old, male and female, wild-type (WT) and alpha-TTP-KO mice. All brain regions of female WT mice contained significantly higher alpha-T than those from WT males. alpha-T concentration in the cerebellum was significantly lower than that in other brain regions of WT mice. These sex and regional differences in brain alpha-T concentrations do not appear to be determined by alpha-TTP expression which was undetectable in all brain regions. All the brain regions of alpha-TTP-KO mice were severely depleted in alpha-T. The concentration of another endogenous antioxidant, total glutathione, was unaffected by gender but was decreased slightly but significantly in most brain regions of alpha-TTP-KO mice. The results show that both gender and the hepatic alpha-TTP, but not brain alpha-TTP gene expression are important in determining alpha-T concentrations within the brain. Interestingly, functional abnormality (ataxia) develops only very late in alpha-TTP-KO mice in spite of the severe alpha-tocopherol deficiency in the brain starting at an early age.