Cutaneous Manifestations in Rats with Advanced Vitamin A Deficiency*

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Abstract
Specific-pathogen-free rats kept on a vitamin A-deficient diet for 5 mo. developed cutaneous alterations, especially in the periorbital and eyelid skin. These lesions were characterized by erythema, partial alopecia and crusting, and histologically by hyperorthokeratinization, acanthosis and a 3-fold increase in incorporation of labeled DNA precursors into the epidermal basal layer. EM showed an increased number of Langerhans cells with and without Birbeck granules and the presence of cytoplasmic dense bodies of probable lipid nature in keratinocytes of all epidermal strata. The similarities of these ultrastructural alterations with some features of vitamin A-sensitive human dermatoses [psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne vulgaris, nummular eczema, ichthyosis] point to probable common mechanisms in the pathogenesis of these skin diseases.