Ultrastructure of platelets of the vitamin E-deficient rats.

The platelets of vitamin E-deficient rats show a remarkable structural destruction of the mitochondria, mainly in the membrane, and a considerable decrease in the number of mitochondria. In addition, significant decreases are manifested in the numbers of microtubules, alpha-granulomers, dense bodies and glycogen particles, accompanied by remarkable vacuole formation. The longer the vitamin E-deficient period, the more remarkable the changes are. Rats deficient in vitamin E for 58 weeks showed the highest degenerative changes in the platelets.