title: β-Carotene supplementation decreases placental transcription of LDL receptor-related protein 1 in wild-type mice and stimulates placental β-carotene uptake in marginally vitamin A-deficient mice.
abstract: The human diet contains β-carotene as the most abundant precursor of vitamin A, an essential nutrient for embryogenesis. Our laboratory previously showed the importance of β-carotene metabolism via β-carotene-15,15'-oxygenase (CMOI) to support mouse embryonic development. However, the mechanisms regulating embryonic acquisition and utilization of β-carotene from the maternal circulation via placenta remain unknown. We used wild-type (WT) and Lrat(-/-)Rbp(-/-) (L(-/-)R(-/-)) mice, the latter being a model of marginal vitamin A deficiency. Pregnant dams, fed a nonpurified diet sufficient in vitamin A throughout life, were i.p. supplemented with β-carotene or vehicle at 13.5 d postcoitum (dpc). Effects of this acute maternal supplementation on retinoid and β-carotene metabolism in maternal (serum, liver) and developing tissues (placenta, yolk sac, embryo) were investigated at 14.5 dpc. We showed that, upon supplementation, placental β-carotene concentrations were greater in L(-/-)R(-/-) than in WT mice. However, the retinoid (retinol and retinyl ester) concentrations remained unchanged in placenta (and in all other tissues analyzed) of both genotypes upon β-carotene administration. We also showed that upon a single i.p. β-carotene supplementation, placental LDL receptor-related protein (Lrp1) mRNA expression was lower in WT mice, and embryonic CmoI mRNA expression was greater in L(-/-)R(-/-) mice. Together, these data suggest a potential role of LRP1 in mediating the uptake of β-carotene across the placenta and that even a marginally impaired maternal vitamin A status may influence uptake and utilization of β-carotene by the placenta and the embryo.
authors: Department of Food Science and Rutgers Center for Lipid Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors: Lesley
authors: L
authors: Wassef
authors: Varsha
authors: V
authors: Shete
authors: Alice
authors: A
authors: Hong
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Spiegler
authors: Loredana
authors: L
authors: Quadro
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D026503:Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D026503:Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-1; D019207:beta Carotene