We studied the effect of long-term light deprivation which began at different stages of ontogeny on the content of α-tocopherol in rats during the first 3 months of postnatal development. In the offspring postnatally exposed to constant darkness, the level of α-tocopherol in the liver, kidneys, heart, skeletal muscles, and lungs was significantly decreased at the early stages of postnatal ontogeny (2 weeks and 1 month). In rats kept under constant darkness after birth, the content of α-tocopherol in the lungs was also reduced at the age of 1 month. The modulating effect of light deprivation on the level of α-tocopherol can be associated both with the impact of disturbed circadian rhythms and with increased content of melatonin in the body.
Keywords: Wistar rats; early postnatal ontogeny; light deprivation; α-tocopherol.