Effects Of Marginal Vitamin A Deficiency On Some Enzyme In Vitamin A Transport And Storage In Neonatal Rats

Objective: to investigate the effect of neonatal vitamin A in marginal vitamin A deficiency(MVAD) rats from pregnancy. The effects of MVAD from pregnancy on some enzyme in vitamin A transport and storage.Methods: sixteen adult female Wistar rats were randomly separated into control and MVAD groups (eight per group). Serum and livers from mothers and newborns were collected after the establishment of the above two animal models. The vitamin A level was analyzed by HPLC.RT-PCR analysis was used to assay the transcriptional level of LRAT, CRBP1, STRA6 in neonatal liver. The protein level of LRAT was detected by Western blotting.Results:â‘ The plasma vitamin A level from maternal and neonatal was significantly lower in the MVAD compared to the control group (p<0.001).â‘¡The liver vitamin A level from maternal and neonatal was significantly lower in the MVAD compared to the control group (p<0.001); the vitamin A level in placenta was lower in the MVAD group (p<0.001).â‘¢The expression of LRAT, CRBP1, STRA6 mRNA were down-regulated (p<0.05).â‘£The western blotting results showed that LRAT in the MVAD groups was lower than those in the control groups.Conclusion:â‘ In the absence of dietary vitamin A from pregnancy, a normal level of plasma retinol alone was not enough to support body vitamin A storage. Only plasma retinol cannot reflect the level of vitamin A in body accurately, the level of vitamin A in liver can reflect the level of vitamin A in body more appropriately.â‘¡In the absence of dietary vitamin A from pregnancy, the neonates can support plasma vitamin A level for normal embryonic development by down-regulating of expression of LRAT,CRBP1, STRA6.â‘¢We can also conclude from our data that LRAT,CRBP1,STRA6 plays a crucial role in vitamin A transport and storage.