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Concentrations of Selected Carotenoids and Vitamin A in Human Liver, Kidney and Lung Tissue¹

Harold H. Schmitz, Christopher L. Poor^*, R. B. Wellman and John W. Erdman, Jr.²

Department of Food Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 ^* Deivision of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 Carle Hospital, Urbana, IL 61801

Concentrations of preformed vitamin A and five individual carotenoids (-carotene, ß-carotene, cryptoxanthin, lutein and lycopene) were determined in liver, kidney and lung tissue from 20 autopsies of subjects ranging in age from 4 mo to 86 y. Total carotenoid concentrations in liver tissue were always greater than in kidney or lung tissue within the same patient. Total carotenoid concentration in adult subjects was 2.5–77.1 nmol/g tissue (mean 21.0 nmol/g tissue) in liver tissue (n = 14), 0.2–12.7 nmol/g tissue (mean 3.1 nmol/g tissue) in kidney tissue (n = 13) and 0.1–8.4 nmol/g tissue (mean 1.9 nmol/g tissue) in lung tissue (n = 13). Carotenoid content in tissue samples from two infants was low, ranging from 0 to 1.0 nmol/g tissue. ß-Carotene and lycopene were almost always the predominant carotenoids found in liver, kidney and lung tissue. ß-Carotene was positively correlated (P < 0.05) with -carotene, lycopene and total carotenoids in all of the tissues examined. In addition, ß-carotene and total carotenoids from liver tissue were positively correlated with the same carotenoids in both kidney and lung tissue within each patient. Total vitamin A (free plus esterified) concentration was 8.7–1102.2 nmol/g tissue in liver (n = 17), 3.5–343.9 nmol/g tissue in kidney (n = 14) and 0.7–404.6 nmol/g tissue in lung (n = 14). Vitamin A concentrations were significantly correlated with both ß-carotene and total provitamin A carotenoid concentrations in liver tissue, but not in kidney or lung tissue.

KEY WORDS: • ß-carotene • carotenoids • humans • vitamin A

¹ Funded in part by National Institutes of Health grant CA 46402-02 and by U.S. Department of Agriculture Competitive grant #89-37200-4452.

² To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Room 580, Bevier Hall, 905 S. Goodwin, Urbana, IL 61801.

Manuscript received 10 July 1990. Revision accepted 26 March 1991.

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