title: The effects of vitamin A supplementation to rats during gestation and lactation upon redox parameters: increased oxidative stress and redox modulation in mothers and their offspring.
abstract: Vitamin A is an essential nutrient required in adequate amounts for reproduction and development. Subtle variations in the status of maternal nutrition may affect physiological and metabolic parameters in the fetus. Evidence suggests a key role for oxidative stress in these events. Literature is controversial about the effects of vitamin A supplementation. Here, we studied the effects of vitamin A supplementation on female Wistar rats during gestation and lactation on oxidative stress parameters of maternal and offspring tissues. Rats received daily doses of vitamin A at 2500, 12,500 and 25,000IU/kg. We observed an increase of oxidative damage markers in the reproductive tissues and plasma of dams. The activity of glutathione-S-transferase was modulated by vitamin A supplementation. It was found to be increased in the liver of dams and decreased in the kidneys of mothers and offspring. In pups, supplementation decreased the total antioxidant potential of the liver along with decreased superoxide dismutase/catalase activity ratio in the kidney. The levels of lipoperoxidation were increased in male offspring, but decreased in female pups. Collectively, the results suggest that excessive vitamin A intake during gestation and lactation might be toxic for mothers with adverse effects for the developing offspring.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Estudos de Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. bobs_nh@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Schnorr
authors.forename: Maurilio Da Silva
authors.initials: Mda S
authors.lastname: Morrone
authors.forename: Maria Helena
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lorenzi
authors.forename: Guilherme Antônio
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Behr
authors.forename: José Cláudio Fonseca
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Moreira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002374:Catalase / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000097:blood; D007774:Lactation; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D014801:Vitamin A; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase