Secretion of alpha-tocopherol in VLDL is decreased by dietary protein insufficiency in young growing rats

The concentrations of alpha-tocopherol in plasma and most peripheral tissues were shown previously to be low in young growing rats fed a low protein diet. To examine the secretion rates of VLDL alpha-tocopherol and triglycerides, and lipoprotein lipase activity, weanling rats were fed a low protein (LP, 8 g/100 g lactalbumin) or a normal protein (NP, 20 g/100 g lactalbumin) diet for 6 wk. The absolute secretion rate of VLDL triglyceride (micromol/h) of the LP group was not significantly different from that of the NP group (P: > 0.05), but was significantly higher (P: < 0.05) when expressed relative to body weight [micromol/(h. kg)]. The secretion rates of VLDL alpha-tocopherol were significantly lower (P: < 0.05) in the LP group than in the NP group. The activities of hepatic lipase, lipoprotein lipase and total heparin-releasable lipase in plasma of the LP group were only 50-60% those of the NP group (P: < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the secretion rate of VLDL alpha-tocopherol and activities of lipases in postheparin plasma were significantly lower in rats fed a low protein diet. Thus, the redistribution of alpha-tocopherol from liver to peripheral tissues appears to have been impaired by dietary protein insufficiency.