title: Vitamin A deficiency causes oxidative damage to liver mitochondria in rats.
abstract: Mitochondrial damage in rat liver induced by chronic vitamin A-deficiency was studied using three different groups of rats: (i) control rats, (ii) rats fed a vitamin A-free diet until 50 d after birth and (iii) vitamin A-deficient rats re-fed a control diet for 30 d. No statistical difference in body weight and food intake was found between control and vitamin A-deficient rats. Liver GSH concentration was similar in both groups. However, in vitamin A-deficient rats, the mitochondrial GSH/GSSG ratio was significantly lower and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (oxo8dG) were higher when compared to control rats. These values were partially restored in re-fed rats. The mitochondrial membrane potential of vitamin A-deficient rats was significantly lower than in control rats and returned to normal levels in restored vitamin A rats. Two populations of mitochondria were found in vitamin A-deficient rats according to the composition of membrane lipids. One population showed a similar pattern to the control mitochondria and the second population had a higher membrane lipid content. This report emphasizes the protective role of vitamin A in liver mitochondria under physiological circumstances.
authors.affiliation: Departamentos de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Fisiología, Facultades de Medicina y Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Borrás
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cabezuelo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lloret
authors.forename: F V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Pallardó
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Viña
mesh_terms: D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide / Q000378:metabolism; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D008563:Membrane Lipids; D014801:Vitamin A; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D003849:Deoxyguanosine; D005978:Glutathione; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide