title: Vitamin A concentrations in liver determined by isotope dilution assay with tetradeuterated vitamin A and by biopsy in generally healthy adult humans.
abstract: The vitamin A status in 11 generally healthy surgical patients was estimated by measuring the dilution of a 45-mg oral dose of tetradeuterated retinyl acetate (99% pure). After purification of retinol by high-performance liquid chromatography, the ratio of 2H4-retinol:1H-retinol in plasma was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. On the basis of the observed ratios of [2H4]retinol:[1H]retinol over 19-47 d, the total body reserves and liver concentrations of vitamin A were calculated. Liver biopsy samples taken at surgery were directly analyzed for vitamin A. The correlation coefficient between calculated and measured liver vitamin A concentrations for 10 of the subjects was 0.88, and the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was 0.95 (p less than 0.002). Thus, total body reserves of vitamin A in humans can be estimated validly in the marginal and satisfactory ranges by a benign, relatively noninvasive procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Iowa State University, Ames 50011.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Furr
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Amedee-Manesme
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Clifford
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Bergen
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Olson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D003903:Deuterium; D006801:Humans; D007201:Indicator Dilution Techniques; D007554:Isotopes; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007554:Isotopes; D014801:Vitamin A; D003903:Deuterium