Role of vitamin E in the etiology of spontaneous hemorrhagic necrosis of the central nervous system of fetal hamsters.

The intraperitoneal inoculation of pregnant hamsters with vitamin E during the first half of gestation reduced the severity or eliminated the occurrence of grossly observable effects of spontaneous hemorrhagic necrosis (SHN) of the central nervous system in their offspring and improved the pre-weaning viability of their litters. The addition of corn oil (16%) or linoleic acid (8%) to a ration associated with the occurrence of SHN in fetal hamsters enhanced the incidence and severity of the disease, and these effects were moderated by inoculation of the dams with vitamin E. Experimental data indicated that, among multifactorial contributions to the cause of SHN in hamsters, vitamin E availability and levels of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid played a significant and interrelated role.