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Effects of ethanol on physiological retinoic acid levels
Author(s) -
Napoli Joseph L.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
iubmb life
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.132
H-Index - 113
eISSN - 1521-6551
pISSN - 1521-6543
DOI - 10.1002/iub.500
Subject(s) - retinoic acid , retinoid , tretinoin , ethanol , vitamin , toxicity , in vivo , biochemistry , biology , biosynthesis , metabolism , pharmacology , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , genetics , enzyme , gene
All‐ trans ‐retinoic acid (atRA) serves essential functions during embryogenesis and throughout postnatal vertebrate life. Insufficient or excess atRA causes teratogenic and/or toxic effects in the developing embryo: interference with atRA biosynthesis or signaling likely underlies some forms of cancer. Many symptoms of vitamin A (atRA precursor) deficiency and/or toxicity overlap with those of another pleiotropic agent—ethanol. These overlapping symptoms have prompted research to understand whether interference with atRA biosynthesis and/or action may explain (in part) pathology associated with excess ethanol consumption. Ethanol affects many aspects of retinoid metabolism and mechanisms of action site specifically, but no robust data support inhibition of vitamin A metabolism, resulting in decreased atRA in vivo during normal vitamin A nutriture. Actually, ethanol either has no effect on or increases atRA at select sites. Despite this realization, insight into whether interactions between ethanol and retinoids represent cause versus effect requires additional research. © 2011 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 63(9): 701–706, 2011