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Nutrient‐Gene Interactions in Mitochondrial Function: Vitamin A Needs Are Increased in BHE/Cdb Rats
Author(s) -
Everts Helen B.,
Berdanier Carolyn D.
Publication year - 2002
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 - 10.1080/15216540213464
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , oxidative phosphorylation , vitamin , biology , vitamin a deficiency , retinol , biochemistry
Abstract The BHE/Cdb rat has a maternally inherited mutation in the ATPase 6 mitochondrial gene that associates with impaired oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and glucose intolerance. A longevity study revealed that feeding an egg‐rich (vitamin A‐rich) diet delayed the onset of impaired glucose tolerance. Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that BHE/Cdb rats require more dietary vitamin A than normal rats. Experiment 1 was a dose‐response study examining OXPHOS in BHE/Cdb rats fed one of six levels of vitamin A. In experiment 2 BHE/Cdb and Sprague‐Dawley rats were used. The rats were depleted of retinol stores, then repleted with 4 or 12 IU vitamin A/g diet. Vitamin A status was assessed in depleted, never depleted, and depleted/repleted rats. OXPHOS was optimized at 4 IU/g diet for the Sprague‐Dawley rats and 12 IU/g diet for the BHE/Cdb rats. These results suggested that the criteria for vitamin intake adequacy in the BHE/Cdb rats is the optimization of mitochondrial OXPHOS. Using this criteria, we conclude that diabetes‐prone BHE/Cdb rats require more dietary vitamin A than normal rats.