The “Partial” Vitamin A Function of α-Retinol

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Alpha-retinol, a double-bond isomer of retinol, when given to vitamin A-deficient rats in large doses as α-retinyl acetate either intraperitoneally (160 µg weekly) or orally (50 µg daily), supported weight gain for 9–18 days and 9 days, respectively. Then weight loss occurred, and the animals died or were killed after 4 weeks. Their testes had atrophied; they had moderate to marked degeneration of the rod and cone layer of the retina; they displayed minimal corneal changes and variable tracheal squamous metaplasia. Electroretinography showed that the rats given α-retinyl acetate were severely night blind and had lost about 75% of their rhodopsin. These data suggest that either α-retinol could spare retinol by performing some but not all vital functions of the vitamin, or that a transport mechanism for α-retinol was lacking so that insufficient amounts reached the tissues.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: