Vitamin E kinetics in sheep

Abstract

1. Kinetics of physiological doses of D-α-[5-Me- 3 H]tocopherol(200 μCi) administered to twenty-four sheep were studied using one of four routes: intravenous, oral (capsules), intraruminal and intramuscular. 2. Blood samples were withdrawn from the jugular vein periodically for 96 h after the intravenous and oral administrations, for 168 h after the intraruminal administration and for 216 h after the intramuscular administration.3. The study indicated that the biological availability of α-tocopherol followed the order intravenous > intramuscular > oral > intraruminal.4. The rate of elimination was in the order intravenous > oral > intraruminal ˜ intramuscular.5. The intravenous route was fitted with a three-compartment model, whereas the other routes exhibited a good fit for either a one- or two-compartment model.