Abstract
Background: Vitamin A (VA) plays critical roles in prenatal and postnatal development; however, limited information is available regarding maternal VA metabolism during pregnancy and lactation. Objectives: We investigated the impact of pregnancy and lactation on VA metabolism and kinetics in rats, hypothesizing that changes in physiological status would naturally perturb whole-body VA kinetics. Methods: Eight-week old female rats (n = 10) fed an AIN-93G diet received an oral tracer dose of 3H-labeled retinol to initiate the kinetic study. On d 21 after dosing, six female rats were mated. Serial blood samples were collected from each female rat at selected times after dose administration until d 14 of lactation. Model-based compartmental analysis was applied to the plasma tracer data to develop VA kinetic models. Results: Our compartmental model revealed that pregnancy resulted in a gradual increase in hepatic VA mobilization, presumably to support different stages of fetal development. Additionally, the model indicates that during lactation, VA derived from dietary intake was the primary source of VA delivered to the mammary gland for milk VA secretion. Conclusion: During pregnancy and lactation in rats with an adequate VA intake and previous VA storage, the internal redistribution of VA and increased uptake from diet supported the maintenance of VA homeostasis.
Highlights
The critical roles of vitamin A (VA) in mammalian reproduction and embryonic development have been known for decades [1]
To date, no studies have investigated the dynamic changes in maternal Vitamin A (VA) metabolism that may occur across the period from pregnancy and lactation, from the viewpoint of whole-body retinol kinetics and compartmental analysis
By combining tracer kinetic techniques and model-based compartmental analysis, we studied VA metabolism and kinetics in non-pregnant and pregnant–lactating rats and developed compartmental models to describe the physiological changes during pregnancy and lactation
Summary
The critical roles of vitamin A (VA) in mammalian reproduction and embryonic development have been known for decades [1]. Because of the limited knowledge about VA metabolism during these physiological periods, we began with the general hypotheses that VA kinetics would be perturbed during pregnancy and lactation and that model-based compartmental analysis would help reveal potential changes in VA trafficking during these physiological transitions Such results are expected to enhance knowledge about VA kinetics during pregnancy and lactation, set the foundation for future investigation of the impact of nutritional status on VA metabolism during these life stages, and provide insights for future dietary recommendations. Conclusion: During pregnancy and lactation in rats with an adequate VA intake and previous VA storage, the internal redistribution of VA and increased uptake from diet supported the maintenance of VA homeostasis
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