Breeder Diet Strategies for Generating Ttpa-Null and Wild-Type Mice with Low Vitamin E Status to Assess Neurological Outcomes

Studying vitamin E [α-tocopherol (α-T)] metabolism and function in the brain and other tissues requires an animal model with low α-T status, such as the transgenic α-T transfer protein (Ttpa)–null (Ttpa(−)(/)(−)) mouse model. Ttpa(+)(/)(−) dams can be used to produce Ttpa(−)(/)(−) and Ttpa(+/+)mice for these studies. However, the α-T content in Ttpa(+)(/)(−) dams’ diet requires optimization; diets must provide sufficient α-T for reproduction, while minimizing the transfer of α-T to the offspring destined for future studies that require low baseline α-T status. The goal of this work was to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of 2 breeding diet strategies on reproduction outcomes and offspring brain α-T concentrations. These findings will help standardize the breeding methodology used to generate the Ttpa(−)(/)(−) mice for neurological studies.