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Effect of Chronic Hypovitaminosis A on Water Metabolism in the Weanling Rat^1,2,

Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06268

To study water imbalance reported to occur in vitamin A deficiency, chronic hypovitaminosis A was produced in 7-week old rats by feeding deficient or adequate vitamin A (12 or 256 µg/kg body weight/day, respectively) for a comparison period of 6 weeks. In the case of the deficient rats, these were partially depleted of their vitamin A stores prior to feeding the 12 µg intake. At the termination of the comparison period, the deficient rats exhibited elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure, and lower plasma and liver vitamin A concentrations. Based upon kinetics of a single intrajugular injection of ³H₂O and ¹⁴C-inulin, total body water, extracellular water and renal clearances were lower in vitamin A deficient rats. However, when these criteria were expressed on a body weight basis, there were no significant differences. The turnover of total body water was reduced in the hypovitaminotic A rats. The results are discussed in terms of an inhibitory effect of vitamin A deficiency on growth.

KEY WORDS: • chronic hypovitaminosis A • water metabolism

¹ Scientifie contribution 633, Storrs Agrieultural Experiment Station, University of Connecticut. Storrs. Conn. 06268. The senior author received financial support from the Graduate School of the University of Connectient.

² This study was part of Lado Mahant's doctoral dissertation submitted to the graduate school. University of Connectient, Storrs. Conn., 1975. A preliminary report was given at the annual meeting of The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. April. 1975. Mahant. L. (1975) Chronic hypovitaminosis A and water imbalance in the weanling rat. Federation Proc. 34, 918 (Abstr.).

Manuscript received 14 April 1970.