Evaluation of vitamin A absorption by using oil-soluble and water-miscible vitamin A preparations in normal adults and in patients with gastrointestinal disease.
We evaluated vitamin A absorption in 50 healthy adults and 26 gastrointestinal-disease patients by measuring the postabsorptive response in plasma retinyl esters after oral doses of the vitamin. On 3 consecutive days, two physiologic-dose tests of 2000-2400 retinol equivalents (RE) and one pharmacologic-dose test (84,000 RE) were administered. The physiologic doses were given as an oil-soluble or a water-miscible preparation. In gastrointestinal-disease patients the physiologic-dose test was highly correlated with the pharmacologic-dose test for the oil-soluble preparation as determined by peak rise (r = 0.50, P less than 0.05) and area under the curve (r = 0.56, P less than 0.01), suggesting that the physiologic dose is valid for investigating vitamin A absorption. Intestinal-disease or resection patients absorbed preparations poorly. Pancreatic-disease patients absorbed the oil-soluble preparation poorly. Physiologic rather than pharmacologic doses of vitamin A can be used to study vitamin A absorption.
Johnson
E J
EJ
USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111.
Krasinski
S D
SD
Howard
L J
LJ
Alger
S A
SA
Dutta
S K
SK
Russell
R M
RM
D000042:Absorption; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D004952:Esters / Q000097:blood; D010188:Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000601:surgery; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009821:Oils; D012995:Solubility; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014867:Water
D004952:Esters; D008055:Lipids; D009821:Oils; D014867:Water; D014801:Vitamin A