Expression of Retinoic Acid Nuclear Receptors and Tissue Transglutaminase Is Altered in Various Tissues of Rats Fed a Vitamin A-Deficient Diet1

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 122; no. 11; pp. 2144 - 2152
• Main Authors: Verma, Ajit K., Shoemaker, Alex, Simsiman, Ruby, Denning, Mitchell, Zachman, Richard D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.11.1992
• Subjects: gene expression; rats; retinoic acid nuclear receptors; tissue transglutaminase; vitamin A deficiency; CRBP; RAR; TG; retinoic acid nuclear receptors; rats; tissue transglutaminase; GAPDH; gene expression; vitamin A deficiency; RA
• ISSN: 0022-3166
• DOI: 10.1093/jn/122.11.2144

The effects of vitamin A nutritional status on the levels of expression of retinoic acid nuclear receptors (RAR), and the retinoic acid-responsive gene, tissue transglutaminase, were determined in rats. Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a vitamin A-deficient diet for ∼7 wk developed vitamin A deficiency, as confirmed by the depletion of liver retinol and retinyl palmitate. Controls were fed the same diet supplemented with 24 mg/kg retinyl acetate. The levels of expression of RARβ mRNA were ∼80% lower in bladder, brain, liver, lung and trachea and those of RARγ mRNA were ∼50% lower in bladder, lung and trachea of rats fed the vitamin A-deficient diet than in controls. The levels of expression of RARα mRNA were ∼90% lower in brain and ∼30% greater in liver, kidney, intestine and lung of rats fed the vitamin A-deficient diet. Vitamin A deficiency also resulted in reduced expression of tissue transglutaminase in the bladder, lungs and trachea, which paralleled the effects observed for RARβ and RARγ. When vitamin A-deficient rats were subsequently fed a retinol-deficient diet supplemented with retinoic acid for 4 wk, the expression of RAR (β and γ) and tissue transglutaminase returned to the control levels. These results indicate that vitamin A nutritional status in rats influences the expression of both RAR and tissue transglutaminase in certain tissues.