title: Vitamin A concentrations in serum and liver from Florida panthers.
abstract: Many of the anomalies and clinical signs afflicting the Florida panther (Felis concolor coryi) are suggestive of vitamin A deficiency. Our objectives in this study were to determine if a vitamin A deficiency exists in the free-ranging panther population and to determine if there are differences in vitamin A levels among various subgroups of free-ranging panthers. Retinol concentrations were used as an index to Vitamin A concentrations and were determined in serum and liver from free-ranging (serum, n = 45; liver, n = 22) and captive (serum, n = 9; liver, n = 2) juvenile and adult Florida panthers from southern peninsular Florida (USA), and in liver from free-ranging cougars (F. concolor subspp.) from Washington (USA) and Texas (USA) between November 1984 and March 1994. Combined juvenile (6- to 24-mo-old) and adult (> 24-mo-old) free-ranging Florida panthers had mean +/- SD serum retinol concentrations of 772.5 +/- 229 pmol/ml. Adult free-ranging Florida panthers had mean liver retinol concentrations of 4794.5 +/- 3747 nmol/g. Free-ranging nursing Florida panther kittens (age < 1 mo) had mean serum retinol concentrations of 397.9 +/- 69 pmol/ml. Among subgroups of free-ranging Florida panthers, females had higher corrected mean serum retinol concentrations than males and adult free-ranging Florida panthers had higher mean liver retinol concentrations than juveniles. Retinol concentrations in free-ranging Florida panthers did not differ significantly from those in captive panthers (liver and serum) or other free-ranging cougars (liver). Based on limited published values and our controls, a vitamin A deficiency could not be demonstrated in the Florida panther population nor were any subgroups or individuals considered deficient.
authors.affiliation: Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Wildlife Research Laboratory, Gainesville 32601, USA. mikedunbar@fws.gov
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Dunbar
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Linda
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002335:Carnivora / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A