title: Effect of ethanol and vitamin A excess on vitamin A status in the liver, plasma and foetuses of pregnant rats.
abstract: The effect of maternal consumption of dietary ethanol and high doses of vitamin A by gavage was investigated by evaluating plasma, liver and foetal vitamin A in Osborne-Mendel pregnant rats with a view to assessing whether ethanol modulated the potential toxicity of excess vitamin A. All groups received 4000 IU vitamin A/litre in a liquid diet. Ethanol-exposed groups also received 6.4% (v/v) ethanol in the liquid diet. Vitamin A was administered by gavage once per day in corn oil in doses ranging from 10,000 to 160,000 IU/kg body weight. Plasma vitamin A levels in ethanol-exposed groups were similar to levels in a pair-fed group. Plasma vitamin A levels were similar in the group given ethanol plus 40,000 IU vitamin A/kg and the group given 40,000 IU vitamin A/kg only, but were higher in the group receiving ethanol plus 80,000 IU vitamin A/kg than in the group given 80,000 IU vitamin A/kg only. Retinyl esters were present in the plasma of animals receiving 160,000 IU vitamin A/kg only, indicating possible saturation of the liver with vitamin A. Retinyl palmitate levels in female foetuses of the group administered ethanol plus 80,000 IU vitamin A/kg were significantly higher than those of the group administered 80,000 IU vitamin A/kg only; no significant differences in levels of retinyl palmitate in male foetuses were observed between these two groups. This observation suggests a possible sex difference in the modulation of vitamin A toxicity by ethanol in the foetus.
authors.affiliation: Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, US Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD 20708.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Sundaresan
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Whitby
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shackelford
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Newell
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D004224:Diterpenes; D004347:Drug Interactions; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D004224:Diterpenes; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D014801:Vitamin A; C014794:retinol palmitate; D000431:Ethanol