Metabolite Of Retinol Research Articles

FORMATION AND ENTEROHEPATIC CIRCULATION OF WATER-SOLUBLE METABOLITES OF RETINOL (VITAMIN A) IN THE RAT.

BIOLOGICALLY active metabolites of retinoic acid are apparently formed in the stomach1 and colon2, and water-soluble metabolites of retinol or retinoic acid appear in the plasma, urine, and faeces of chickens and rats within 24 h after administration3–6. The organs involved in these transformations, the chemical nature of the products, and the route of excretion have not been defined in detail. This report concerns the conversion in rat liver of 14C-retinol and 14C-retinoic acid to water-soluble metabolites, which are afterwards excreted in the bile, are largely absorbed from the gut, and are re-excreted in the bile. Preliminary observations on the properties of these metabolites are presented.