Cornification of esophagus induced by excessive vitamin E

The antagonistic effects of vitamin E on vitamin A were studied in chickens fed excessive amounts of vitamin E (700-7000 IU/kg diet) for 6 wk. Serum levels of vitamin A and vitamin E were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography at 2, 4, and 6 wk after vitamin E supplementation. Vitamin E in serum reached maximum levels 4 wk after supplementation. Vitamin E tended to ameliorate the normalization of serum levels of vitamin A. To examine the pathological lesions induced by excessive vitamin E in chickens, two to four chickens were necropsied every 2 wk after supplementation. The results in gross and microscopic lesions showed that cornification of esophageal mucous membrane was found in chickens supplemented with > or = 1400 IU/kg of vitamin E in diet for 6 wk. Lesions of this kind resemble those in vitamin A-deficient chickens and are the first to be induced by excess vitamin E.