Effect of vitamin A deprivation on the mitogenic factor activity in the rat testes.
The seminiferous tubules of rat testes contain a protease and heat sensitive factor capable of stimulating (3H)-thymidine incorporation into quiescent cultures of NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. This mitogenic factor activity was only 4% in the testes of vitamin A deficient-retinoic acid maintained rats as compared to that of normal rats. Supplementation of retinyl acetate to these vitamin A deficient rats for 4 days resulted in a 56% recovery in the mitogenic factor activity while by day 16, the recovery was 80 percent. Incorporation of (3H)-thymidine into DNA of the seminiferous tubules of vitamin A deficient rats was only 46% of that of normal rats which was restored to normal levels by retinyl acetate supplementation for 24 days.
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
D006133:Growth Substances; D014212:Tretinoin