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Effect of Retinoic Acid and Retinyl Acetate Feeding Upon Lipid Metabolism in Adrenalectomized Rats¹

Department of Food Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801

Many reports have appeared in the literature suggesting that vitamin A may exert some of its effects via changes in adrenocortical activity. A series of experiments were performed in order to assess the possible role of the adrenal gland in vitamin A-induced lipid alterations in rats. Adrenalectomized, sham-operated, and intact rats were fed retinoic acid or retinyl acetate at several levels. Either 25 or 100 retinol equivalents (RE)/g dry diet were fed to male Sprague-Dawley rats for periods of 7 or 28 days. Neither compound had an effect on the concentration of liver glycerides, phospholipids, cholesterol, or total lipids. Vitamin A, especially in the form of retinoic acid, was found to induce an elevation of plasma triglycerides. The presence of the adrenal gland was not necessary for the induction of hypertriglyceridemia nor was there any indication of increased adrenocortical output (as measured by plasma corticosterone level) as a result of vitamin A feeding. There was a reduction in circulating retinol as a result of retinoic acid feeding at either 25 or 100 RE in sham-operated and adrenalectomized rats but not in unoperated rats. These experiments demonstrate that vitamin A, especially in the form of retinoic acid, fed at as low as 25 RE/g diet to the rat can induce hypertriglyceridemia, and that the adrenal gland does not mediate this effect.

KEY WORDS: • vitamin A • retinoic acid • adrenal cortex • hypertriglyceridemia

¹ This research was partially supported by Illinois Agriculture Research Station Hatch Grant No. 30-15-50-352.

Manuscript received 4 August 1978.

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