High concentrations of vitamin A esters circulate primarily as retinyl stearate and are stored primarily as retinyl palmitate in ferret tissues.
OBJECTIVE
We determined the kinds and amounts of vitamin A compounds (retinol and various retinyl esters) circulating in serum and stored in liver and other selected tissues of ferrets, using high-performance liquid chromatography.


RESULTS
The concentration of total retinyl esters in serum (43 +/- 1 mumol/L, mean +/- SEM) was 25 times greater than that of retinol (1.7 +/- 0.2 mumol/L). In serum, 56% of retinyl esters was retinyl stearate, 33% was retinyl palmitate, and 5% was retinyl oleate. In contrast, in liver, vitamin A was stored primarily as retinyl palmitate (51%); smaller amounts of retinyl oleate (19%) and retinyl stearate (16%) were found. In kidneys, adrenals, small intestine, adipose tissue, skin, stomach, and eyes, retinyl palmitate was also the predominant retinyl ester, followed by retinyl stearate. In colon, lungs, and bladder, equal amounts of retinyl palmitate and retinyl stearate were observed. Other retinyl esters present in smaller amounts in most of these tissues were retinyl oleate, retinyl linoleate and/or -myristate, retinyl heptadecanoate, retinyl arachidonate, and retinyl laurate.


CONCLUSIONS
Thus, the primary form of vitamin A that circulates in the blood of ferrets is retinyl stearate, whereas the primary storage form of the vitamin in tissues is retinyl palmitate. Concentrations of total vitamin A in ferret serum and other tissues were 3-73 times greater than those reported for their corresponding human tissues.
Ribaya-Mercado
J D
JD
US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111.
Blanco
M C
MC
Fox
J G
JG
Russell
R M
RM
D000818:Animals; D004224:Diterpenes; D004952:Esters / Q000097:blood*; D005289:Ferrets / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
D004224:Diterpenes; D004952:Esters; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D014801:Vitamin A; C014794:retinol palmitate; C042811:retinyl stearate