title: Iron status in rats fed a purified diet without vitamin A.
abstract: The effect of vitamin A deficiency on iron status was investigated in rats. After 28 d of feeding either low or high vitamin A diets (0 vs 4000 IU of vitamin A per kg feed), the final body weight was slightly but significantly lowered by the low vitamin A diet. Plasma retinol concentrations were decreased in rats fed diets low in vitamin A. Marginal vitamin A deficiency produced slightly, but significantly lower blood hemoglobin concentrations; it did not clearly affect hematocrit. The concentration of iron in liver was significantly higher when diets low in vitamin A were fed while significantly lower levels were observed in femur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Medicine and Nutrition, State University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Beynen
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Sijtsma
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Van Den Berg
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Lemmens
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: West
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005269:Femur / Q000378:metabolism; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D014801:Vitamin A; D007501:Iron