Avitaminosis E: Organ distribution of aryl sulfatase elevation

The lysosomal enzyme aryl sulfatase was measured in the vitamin E-deficient laboratory rat. The deficient animals exhibited elevated enzyme activity in brain, skeletal muscle, liver, heart, intestine, lung, and kidney prior to the onset of any clinical symptoms of deficiency. The wide organ distribution of this pathological biochemical change shows that many tissues are involved in the vitamin E-deficiency state. In particular, one cannot assume that the muscular atrophy commonly observed in avitaminosis E is due to primary muscle disease unassociated with denervation changes.