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Vitamin A Inhibits Some Aspects of Systemic Disease Due to Local X‐Radiation
Author(s) -
Seifter Eli,
Rettura Giuseppe,
Stratford Frank,
Yee Corine,
Weinzweig Jeffrey,
Jacobson Neil L.,
Levenson Stanley M.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.935
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1941-2444
pISSN - 0148-6071
DOI - 10.1177/0148607181005004288
Subject(s) - vitamin , thymic involution , medicine , endocrinology , radiation sickness , hindlimb , physiology , biology , immunology , immune system , t cell
We have previously reported that supplemental vitamin A ameliorates the stress response to a wide variety of noxious agents. The present study was carried out to determine how supplemental vitamin A influences the course of radiation sickness in C3H female mice subjected to 3000 R irradiation of one lower hind limb. All mice ingested a chow diet containing about 13,000 units of vitamin A/kg diet (about half as preformed vitamin A and half as β‐carotene) which supports normal growth, development, and reproduction of normal mice. One hundred fifty thousand units of vitamin A/kg chow was added for the vitamin A supplemented mice. All mice ate and drank ad libitum. The supplemental vitamin A feeding was begun either 3 days before radiation or immediately after radiation. There were no significant differences in the effects of these two regimens. The supplemental vitamin A prevented the weight loss, moderated the adrenal hypertrophy, prevented the thymic involution, and lessened the lymphopenia due to radiation. We conclude that supplemental vitamin A has both prophylactic and therapeutic benefits in radiation‐induced disease.