Distribution of tocopherol among human plasma lipoproteins.

A study of the distribution of alpha-tocopherol among the plasma lipoproteins of 19 healthy adults, 20 pregnant women at delivery, and the umbilical cord blood of their fetuses has shown the following. 1. In healthy adults, LDL in males contained slightly more tocopherol than did HDL, while non-pregnant females showed the opposite tendency. 2. In the pregnant women, the percent distribution of tocopherol was much higher in VLDL fractions, and lower in HDL fractions, as compared with non-pregnant women. 3. In cord blood, the percent distribution of tocopherol was extremely low in LDL fractions, but it was high in HDL fractions. 4. The distribution of tocopherol among lipoproteins was directly related to the total lipid contents of the lipoprotein fractions in all groups examined. After the oral administration of tocopherol to healthy adults, the changes in RBC tocopherol concentrations correlated most closely with those in HDL tocopherol.