title: Expression of retinoic acid nuclear receptors and tissue transglutaminase is altered in various tissues of rats fed a vitamin A-deficient diet.
abstract: The effects of vitamin A nutritional status on the levels of expression of retinoic acid nuclear receptors (RAR), and the retinoic acid-responsive gene, tissue transglutaminase, were determined in rats. Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a vitamin A-deficient diet for approximately 7 wk developed vitamin A deficiency, as confirmed by the depletion of liver retinol and retinyl palmitate. Controls were fed the same diet supplemented with 24 mg/kg retinyl acetate. The levels of expression of RAR beta mRNA were approximately 80% lower in bladder, brain, liver, lung and trachea and those of RAR gamma mRNA were approximately 50% lower in bladder, lung and trachea of rats fed the vitamin A-deficient diet than in controls. The levels of expression of RAR alpha mRNA were approximately 90% lower in brain and approximately 30% greater in liver, kidney, intestine and lung of rats fed the vitamin A-deficient diet. Vitamin A deficiency also resulted in reduced expression of tissue transglutaminase in the bladder, lungs and trachea, which paralleled the effects observed for RAR beta and RAR gamma. When vitamin A-deficient rats were subsequently fed a retinol-deficient diet supplemented with retinoic acid for 4 wk, the expression of RAR (beta and gamma) and tissue transglutaminase returned to the control levels. These results indicate that vitamin A nutritional status in rats influences the expression of both RAR and tissue transglutaminase in certain tissues.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015342:DNA Probes; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008297:Male; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000378:metabolism; D014781:Viscera / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D015342:DNA Probes; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D014212:Tretinoin; D012313:RNA; D011503:Transglutaminases