title: Changes in vitamin A status after acute ethanol administration in the rat.
abstract: To evaluate the effect of acute ethanol administration on vitamin A and retinol-binding protein (RBP) status, male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 120-200 g were given an acute dose of ethanol (6 g/kg body weight, orally) or saline after a 15- to 18-hour fast. Hepatic vitamin A was decreased by 13% (P less than 0.025) 24 hours after ethanol administration. Serum vitamin A was increased 6 hours after the ethanol dose (P less than 0.005) with a 10-fold increase in retinyl ester concentration, whereas serum RBP was slightly decreased. Saline controls showed no changes. The increase in serum retinyl esters 6 hours after the ethanol dose was found in the lipoprotein fraction (density less than 1.21). When lipoprotein removal from plasma was blocked by Triton WR-1339 ethanol administration further enhanced serum retinyl ester concentration. In rats previously given [14C] retinol, hepatic 14C-labeled vitamin A was decreased, whereas in the kidney and adipose tissue it was increased 24 hours after ethanol administration. Thus, an acute dose of ethanol increases serum vitamin A and decreases hepatic vitamin A, most likely because of increased release from the liver or decreased uptake by the liver of retinyl esters as part of the lipoproteins.
mesh_terms: D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000378:metabolism*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology; D011485:Protein Binding; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008074:Lipoproteins; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D014801:Vitamin A; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C016811:tyloxapol