Abstract
The effect of consecutive daily immobilization stress on the metabolism of vitamin A was studied in rats by following changes in tissue distribution of the vitamin for 14 days. Male rats, fed a diet with adequate vitamin A, were subjected to 4 hours of daily immobilization for 1, 3, 7, 10 or 14 days. Ponderal growth was completely abolished, and serum vitamin A fell markedly. The amount of vitamin A in liver, testes and kidney decreased after the first period of restraint. On the other hand, the amount of vitamin A in adrenal glands increased gradually and reached a maximum (+62.3%) on the 7th day. In conclusion, this experiment showed that daily intermittent immobilization provoked a marked change in distribution of vitamin A in tissues.