Further studies on the reduction of vitamin a content in the livers of rats given polychlorinated biphenyls.

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Abstract
Further investigations on the reduction of vitamin A content in the liver of rats fed a 0.1% PCB [polychlorinated biphenyls] diet were conducted. The 1st experiment, in which rats were fed a 0.1% PCB diet for 8 wk and vitamin A in the liver was determined at 2 wk intervals, suggested that a significant decrease of vitamin A in the liver might occur within 2 wk of PCB ingestion. In the 2nd experiment a significant reduction of vitamin A content per gram of liver, but not per whole liver, in rats fed a 0.1% PCB diet was observed on the 3rd day of PCB ingestion, and then on the 6th day the difference between the control group and the PCB-fed group became much more remarkable. No further reduction was seen, indicating a lower limit of vitamin A concentration in the liver of rats fed PCB. Retinol binding protein in the serum of rats fed the 0.1% PCB diet decreased to 1/2 that of the control group on the 10th day of PCB ingestion, suggesting also a marked reduction in serum vitamin A level. Another experiment revealed that a decrease in hepatic vitamin A occurred even at low PCB levels, but serum phospholipid did not respond at all to any PCB level examined until 7 days after PCB ingestion began. The mechanisms of sensitive response of vitamin A in the animals fed PCB are briefly discussed.