Further Damage Caused by Vitamin E Deficiency

Further Damage Caused by Vitamin E Deficiency

Via similar mechanisms involving the downregulation of beneficial genes or, in some cases, the upregulation of deleterious genes, chronic vitamin E deficiency contributed to a variety of other harmful effects in the rats¡¯ brains:

Hormones and hormone metabolism ? The hormones whose function was impaired included a number of extremely important ones, such as growth hormone, insulinlike growth factor-I (IGF-I), the thyroid hormones, and melatonin. These hormones affect many aspects of brain development; they function through their effects not only on various brain systems but also on each other.

Apoptosis ? This is a natural process of cell disintegration, sometimes called ¡°programmed cell suicide,¡± that rids the body of aging cells that are no longer viable. Many things can accelerate apoptosis, however, and chronic vitamin E deficiency appears to be one of them, by downregulating genes that inhibit this process and by upregulating genes that promote it.

Neurotransmission ? The dopaminergic system, which depends on the neurotransmitter dopamine, plays a major role in many different brain functions, and the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons is a hallmark of Parkinson¡¯s disease. Downregulation of genes that are vital to the dopaminergic system is yet another consequence of chronic vitamin E deficiency in rats.