[Participation of tocopherol and its analogs in lipid peroxidation processes and electron transport in rat liver mitochondria in vivo].
The effects of vitamin E and its analogs--alpha-tocopheryl acetate with a shortened up to six carbon atoms side chain carrying a saturated and an unsaturated bonds at the chain terminus, alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopheryl quinone devoid of the side chain--on the rate of malonic dialdehyde formation, the diene conjugate and total lipid content in the liver as well as the activity of the respiratory chain enzymes--succinate--and NADH-dehydrogenase, succinate- and NADH-ubiquinone reductase, as well as the vitamin E and ubiquinone content in the liver mitochondria of vitamin E-deficient rats in vivo have been investigated. It has been found that alpha-tocopheryl acetate with a shortened (up to C6) side chain carrying a saturated bond at the chain terminus is the most effective analog of tocopherol. Further reduction of the tocopherol side chain or tocopherol conversion into quinone causes a decrease in their tocopherol activity.