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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Do vitamin E supplements in diets for laboratory animals jeopardize findings in animal models of disease?
Michael D. MengerKarl E. ArforsHans-anton LehrPeter Vajkoczysubject
Veterinary medicinemedia_common.quotation_subjectVitamin Emedicine.medical_treatmentReproducibility of ResultsFertilityDiseaseBiologyBiochemistryDisease Models AnimalAnimal scienceAnimal modelPhysiology (medical)Animals LaboratoryDietary SupplementsmedicineAnimalsVitamin ETocopherolmedia_commondescription
Abstract Vitamin E has been supplemented to the diets of farm animals to improve fertility, health, growth rates and quality of animal products. Because of the positive experience obtained in farm animals, vitamin E has been added in increasing amounts to the diets of laboratory animals. Today, vitamin E levels in standard rodent maintenance diets range from 30 mg/kg (France, United States), 90–120 mg/kg (Netherlands, United Kingdom) to as much as 200 mg/kg (Germany). While increasing fertility and health of laboratory animals, these vitamin E supplements affect diverse pathophysiological conditions and thus the outcome of animal models of disease. Because of the large variability of vitamin E levels between laboratories within and between different countries, results obtained in established animal models may no longer be comparable and/or reproducible. Researchers should be aware of these vitamin E supplements and carefully control for potential effects in their respective animal models that involve — or may involve — the generation of reactive oxygen species.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-02-01 | Free radical biologymedicine |