Vitamin A increases cold tolerance in goldfish.
As body stores of vitamin A, represented in the liver, are high in cold adapted animals, we hypothesized this phenomenon confers a survival value by increasing tolerance to cold. We injected retinol palmitate into goldfishes and found they tolerated cooler temperatures (4.6 degrees C more) and survived longer at 0 degree C (43 min 50% survival rate) compared to controls (28 min 50% survival rate). The resistance to cold is associated with the appearance of hepatic antifreeze protein(s) in the injected fishes.
D000064:Acclimatization / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D021301:Antifreeze Proteins; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000502:physiology*; D005615:Freezing; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006054:Goldfish / Q000502:physiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000494:pharmacology*
D021301:Antifreeze Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D014801:Vitamin A