Abstract
The effect of the vitamin E status of membranes on the balance between pro- and antioxidant activity of ascorbic acid was studied in microsomes from rat heart, kidney and liver. Lipid peroxidation was initiated by 5 μM ferrous ions, in combination with amounts of ascorbic acid ranging from 0–4 mM. Lipid peroxidation was assessed after 1 h of incubation as production of thiobarbituric acid reactive material. It was found that the vitamin E status of the microsomal membranes had little effect on the balance between pro- and antioxidant activity of vitamin C. The sensitivity of the membranes to ferrous ions/ ascorbic acid-induced lipid peroxidation, however, was highly dependent on the vitamin E content of the membranes. Vitamin E depletion, in combination with different ascorbic acid concentrations, showed that vitamin E deficiency is not an incontestable model system for enhanced sensitivity to lipid peroxidation in all organs.
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