QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chew, B. P. Articles by Reinhart, G. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chew, B. P. Articles by Reinhart, G. A.

---

Research Communication

Dietary ß-Carotene Absorption by Blood Plasma and Leukocytes in Domestic Cats¹

Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA and ^* The Iams Company, Lewisburg, OH

²To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed.

Three experiments were conducted to study the uptake of oral ß-carotene by blood plasma and leukocytes in domestic cats. In Experiment 1, mature female Tabby cats (12 mo old) were given once orally 0, 10, 20 or 50 mg of ß-carotene and blood taken at 0, 12, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48 and 72 h after dosing. Concentrations of plasma ß-carotene increased in a dose-dependent manner. Peak concentrations were observed at 12–24 h and declined gradually thereafter. The half-life of plasma ß-carotene was 12–30 h. In Experiment 2, cats were dosed daily for six consecutive days with 0, 1, 2, 5 or 10 mg ß-carotene. Blood was sampled once daily at 12 h after each feeding. Daily dosing of cats with ß-carotene for 6 d resulted in a dose-dependent increase in circulating ß-carotene. Experiment 3 was designed to study the uptake of ß-carotene by blood leukocytes. Cats were fed 0, 5 or 10 mg of ß-carotene daily for 14 d. Blood leukocytes were obtained on d 7 and 14 to determine ß-carotene content in whole lymphocytes and in subcellular fractions. Blood lymphocytes took up large amounts of ß-carotene by d 7 of feeding. Furthermore, ß-carotene accumulated mainly in the mitochondria (40–52%), with lower amounts accumulating in the microsomes (20–35%), cytosol (15–34%), and nuclei (1.5–6%). Therefore, domestic cats readily absorb ß-carotene across the intestinal mucosa and transfer the ß-carotene into peripheral blood leukocytes and their subcellular organelles. ß-Carotene uptake kinetics show that some aspects of ß-carotene absorption and metabolism in cats are similar to those of humans.

KEY WORDS: • ß-carotene • uptake • cats • blood • leukocytes

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. P. Chew and J. S. Park Carotenoid Action on the Immune Response J. Nutr., January 1, 2004; 134(1): 257S - 261. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. A. Koutsos, A. J. Clifford, C. C. Calvert, and K. C. Klasing Maternal Carotenoid Status Modifies the Incorporation of Dietary Carotenoids into Immune Tissues of Growing Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) J. Nutr., April 1, 2003; 133(4): 1132 - 1138. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. van Lieshout, C. E West, and R. B van Breemen Isotopic tracer techniques for studying the bioavailability and bioefficacy of dietary carotenoids, particularly {beta}-carotene, in humans: a review Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2003; 77(1): 12 - 28. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. J. Schweigert, J. Raila, B. Wichert, and E. Kienzle Cats Absorb {beta}-Carotene, but It Is Not Converted to Vitamin A J. Nutr., June 1, 2002; 132(6): 1610S - 1612. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]