Vitamin E and selenium status of guinea pigs with myocardial necrosis.

Myocardial necrosis and mineralization has been identified in a colony of guinea pigs which were subsequently tested for vitamin E and selenium deficiency. Serum vitamin E and whole blood selenium levels were within normal ranges. The erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase test has potential as a predictor of whole blood selenium levels in the guinea pig. The red blood cell hemolysis test used in this study did not correlate consistently with the serum vitamin E levels. We suspect that myocardial necrosis and mineralization may have resulted from inbreeding guinea pigs within the closed colony.