High doses of vitamin E boost rat survival rate 40%; brain function, neuromusc...( 6 weeks and this increase was markedly...)

Vitamin E supplementation was "able to prevent the decrease in the activities of brain enzymes that are mitochondrial markers of aging: mtNOS (by 95%), Mn-SOD (by 60%), and NADH-cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome oxidase activity" by 35%, the paper said

"The activities of the inner membrane bound mtNOS and of the matrix enzyme MnSOD in brain and liver mitochondria also decreased upon aging, in agreement with earlier reports and with the concept of specificity rather than randomness in the inactivation of mitrondrial enzymes," according to the paper. "The activity of mtNOS was decreased by 44%-66% and Mn-SOD by 28%-50% at 52-78 weeks of mice age, effects that were markedly prevented by vitamin E supplementation," it added.

Clues to mitochondrial dysfunction -- and next steps

Finally, the authors noted two "interesting correlations": The first is the inverse relationship between oxidative damage and enzymatic activities in the brain and liver, "which are due to oxidized and damaged proteins, and not to a direct inhibitory effect of lipid oxidation products (ie., malonaldehyde) due to the high dilution of the enzymes in the assays" where the reduced rates occurred. The second correlation shows "that decreased electron transfer rates and limited respiration and energy supply are the basis of the mitochondrial dysfunction in aging and that mitochondrial dysfunction is the pacemaker of the decline in neurological performances which has a determinant role in survival."