scholarly journals Early retinoic acid deprivation in developing zebrafish results in microphthalmia

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 219-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
HONG-GAM T. LE ◽  
JOHN E. DOWLING ◽  
D. JOSHUA CAMERON

AbstractVitamin A deficiency causes impaired vision and blindness in millions of children around the world. Previous studies in zebrafish have demonstrated that retinoic acid (RA), the acid form of vitamin A, plays a vital role in early eye development. The objective of this study was to describe the effects of early RA deficiency by treating zebrafish with diethylaminobenzaldehyde (DEAB), a potent inhibitor of the enzyme retinaldehyde dehydrogenase (RALDH) that converts retinal to RA. Zebrafish embryos were treated for 2 h beginning at 9 h postfertilization. Gross morphology and retinal development were examined at regular intervals for 5 days after treatment. The optokinetic reflex (OKR) test, visual background adaptation (VBA) test, and the electroretinogram (ERG) were performed to assess visual function and behavior. Early treatment of zebrafish embryos with 100 μM DEAB (9 h) resulted in reduced eye size, and this microphthalmia persisted through larval development. Retinal histology revealed that DEAB eyes had significant developmental abnormalities but had relatively normal retinal lamination by 5.5 days postfertilization. However, the fish showed neither an OKR nor a VBA response. Further, the retina did not respond to light as measured by the ERG. We conclude that early deficiency of RA during eye development causes microphthalmia as well as other visual defects, and that timing of the RA deficiency is critical to the developmental outcome.

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 206
Author(s):  
Herinawati Herinawati ◽  
Lia Artika Sari ◽  
Atika Atika ◽  
Iksaruddin Iksaruddin

19 million pregnant women are thought to have vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy and postpartum can seriously affect the health of the mother and baby. Vitamin A supplementation is sometimes recommended. Although the health consequences of Vitamin A deficiency (VAC) are not well defined, recent data suggest that VAD in women of reproductive age can increase the risk of morbidity and mortality during pregnancy and the early postpartum period. Severe VAC in the mother also poses a loss for newborns because it can result in an increase in mortality in the first month of life. The results showed that Vitamin A deficiency (VAC) is also associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, especially among toddlers. Every year it is estimated that more than 60,000 Indonesian children suffer from severe visual impairment and one third of them become blind which cannot be cured. This is because the consumption of vegetables is still low, including carrots. This community service activity aims to increase the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of the community about the importance of Vitamin A for postpartum and breastfeeding mothers as well as making carrot sausage in Suka Maju Village, RT.09 Mestong District, Muaro Jambi Regency. The target of this service is breastfeeding mothers and posyandu volunteers. This activity is carried out from February to May. Participants who took part in the activities of postpartum mothers and posyandu volunteers, located at the Village Midwife's House RT 09, Mestong District, Muaro Jambi Regency. It is recommended to the puskesmas, village heads to be able to socialize and apply in promoting the processing of foods containing vitamin A in their daily diet


Development ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 111 (4) ◽  
pp. 1081-1086 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.B. Glick ◽  
B.K. McCune ◽  
N. Abdulkarem ◽  
K.C. Flanders ◽  
J.A. Lumadue ◽  
...  

We report the results of a histochemical study, using polyclonal antipeptide antibodies to the different TGF beta isoforms, which demonstrates that retinoic acid regulates the expression of TGF beta 2 in the vitamin A-deficient rat. Basal expression of TGF beta 2 diminished under conditions of vitamin A deficiency. Treatment with retinoic acid caused a rapid and transient induction of TGF beta 2 and TGF beta 3 in the epidermis, tracheobronchial and alveolar epithelium, and intestinal mucosa. Induction of TGF beta 1 expression was also observed in the epidermis. In contrast to these epithelia, expression of the three TGF beta isoforms increased in vaginal epithelium during vitamin A deficiency, and decreased following systemic administration of retinoic acid. Our results show for the first time the widespread regulation of TGF beta expression by retinoic acid in vivo, and suggest a possible mechanism by which retinoics regulate the functions of both normal and pre-neoplastic epithelia.


2008 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
pp. 794-797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pulin C. Sarma ◽  
Bhabesh C. Goswami ◽  
Krishna Gogoi ◽  
Harsha Bhattacharjee ◽  
Arun B. Barua

The objective of the present study was to determine marginal vitamin A deficiency (VAD) by testing the hydrolysis of retinoyl glucuronide (RAG) to retinoic acid (RA) in children. Previous studies in rats showed that hydrolysis occurred when rats were vitamin A deficient. Children (n 61) aged 3–18 years, were divided into two groups, I and II. Blood was collected from the children in Group I (n 19) who were not dosed with RAG. Children in Group II (n 42) were administered all-trans retinoyl glucuronide (RAG) orally, and blood was collected 4 h after the dose. All serum samples were analysed for retinoids and carotenoids. RA was detected in serum only when serum retinol was < 0·85 μmol/l. Thus, hydrolysis of RAG to RA occurred in children with VAD or marginal VAD. Serum retinol was < 0·35 μmol/l in twenty-one children, 0·35–0·7 μmol/l in twenty-three children, 0·7–0·9 μmol/l in eleven children and >1 μmol/l in six children. Mean serum retinol in sixty-one children was 0·522 (sd 0·315) μmol/l. Mean β-carotene (0·016 (sd 0·015) μmol/l) was far below normal compared to the level of lutein (0·176 (sd 0·10) μmol/l) in sixty-one children. A low β-carotene level might be due to a low intake of carotene but high demand for vitamin A. The RAG hydrolysis test may prove to be a useful approach for the determination of marginal VAD with no clinical or subclinical signs of VAD. High prevalence of VAD amongst certain communities in Assam cannot be ruled out.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 80 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Teresa Cabezuelo ◽  
Rosa Zaragozá ◽  
Teresa Barber ◽  
Juan R. Viña

Vitamin A (all-trans-retinol), its active derivatives retinal and retinoic acid, and their synthetic analogues constitute the group of retinoids. It is obtained from diet either as preformed vitamin A or as carotenoids. Retinal plays a biological role in vision, but most of the effects of vitamin A are exerted by retinoic acid, which binds to nuclear receptors and regulates gene transcription. Vitamin A deficiency is an important nutritional problem, particularly in the developing world. Retinol and carotenoids from diet during pregnancy and lactation influence their concentration in breast milk, which is important in the long term, not only for the offspring, but also for maternal health. In this study, we review the role of vitamin A in mammary gland metabolism, where retinoid signaling is required not only for morphogenesis and development of the gland and for adequate milk production, but also during the weaning process, when epithelial cell death is coupled with tissue remodeling.


2011 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. CMRH.S8372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel S. Goldberg

Retinoic acids (13-cis and 13-trans) are known teratogens, and their precursor is retinol, a form of vitamin A. In 1995, Rothman et al demonstrated an association between excessive vitamin A, > 10,000 IU/day, during the first trimester of pregnancy and teratogenic effects, particularly in the central nervous system. However, vitamin A deficiency has long been known to be deleterious to the mother and fetus. Therefore, there may be a narrow therapeutic ratio for vitamin A during pregnancy that has not previously been fully appreciated. Neurodevelopmental disorders may not be apparent by macroscopic brain examination or imaging, and proving the existence of a behavioral teratogen is not straightforward. However, an excess of retinoic acid and some neurodevelopmental disorders are both associated with abnormalities in cerebellar morphology. Physical and chemical evidence strongly supports the notion that beta carotene crosses the placenta and is metabolized to retinol. Only very limited amounts of beta carotene are stored in fetal fat cells as evidenced by the fact that maternal fat is yellow from beta carotene, whereas non-brown neonatal fat is white. Furthermore, newborns of carotenemic mothers do not share the yellow complexion of their mothers. The excess 13-trans retinoic acid derived from metabolized beta carotene in the fetus increases the concentration of the more teratogenic 13-cis retinoic acid since the isomerization equilibrium is shifted to the left. Therefore, this paper proposes that consideration be given to monitoring all potential sources of fetal 13-cis and 13-trans retinoic acid, including nutritional supplements, dietary retinol, and beta carotene, particularly in the first trimester of pregnancy.


Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 95 (11) ◽  
pp. 3349-3356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi Kuwata ◽  
I-Ming Wang ◽  
Tomohiko Tamura ◽  
Roshini M. Ponnamperuma ◽  
Rachel Levine ◽  
...  

Abstract To examine the role of retinoids in hematopoietic cell growth in vivo, we studied female SENCAR mice made vitamin A deficient by dietary restriction. Deficient mice exhibited a dramatic increase in myeloid cells in bone marrow, spleen, and peripheral blood. The abnormal expansion of myeloid cells was detected from an early stage of vitamin A deficiency and contrasted with essentially normal profiles of T and B lymphocytes. This abnormality was reversed on addition of retinoic acid to the vitamin A–deficient diet, indicating that the myeloid cell expansion is a direct result of retinoic acid deficiency. TUNEL analysis indicated that spontaneous apoptosis, a normal process in the life cycle of myeloid cells, was impaired in vitamin A–deficient mice, which may play a role in the increased myeloid cell population. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis of purified granulocytes showed that expression of not only RAR, but RXRs, 2 nuclear receptors that mediate biologic activities of retinoids, was significantly reduced in cells of deficient mice. This work shows that retinoids critically control the homeostasis of myeloid cell population in vivo and suggests that deficiency in this signaling pathway may contribute to various myeloproliferative disorders.


2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (2) ◽  
pp. L437-L444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen E. McGowan ◽  
Amey Jo Holmes ◽  
Jennifer Smith

Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is influenced by structural components of the bronchial wall, including the smooth muscle and connective tissue elements and the neuromuscular function. AHR is also influenced by parenchymally derived tethering forces on the bronchial wall, which maintain airway caliber by producing outward radial traction. Our previous work has shown that vitamin A-deficient (VAD) rats exhibit cholinergic hyperresponsiveness and a decrease in the expression and function of the muscarinic-2 receptors (M2R). We hypothesized that if decreases in radial traction from airway or parenchymal structures contributed to the VAD-related increase in AHR, then the radial traction would normalize more slowly than VAD-related alterations in neurotransmitter signaling. Rats remained vitamin A sufficient (VAS) or were rendered VAD and then maintained on the VAD diet in the presence or absence of supplementation with all- trans retinoic acid (RA). VAD was associated with an approximately twofold increase in respiratory resistance and elastance compared with VAS rats. Exposure to RA for 12 days but not 4 days restored resistance and elastance to control (VAS) levels. In VAD rats, AHR was accompanied by decreases in bronchial M2R gene expression and function, which were restored after 12 days of RA supplementation. Subepithelial bronchial elastic fibers were decreased by ∼50% in VAD rats and were significantly restored by RA. The increase in AHR that is associated with VAD is accompanied by decreases in M2R expression and function that can be restored by RA and a reduction in airway elastic fibers that can be partially restored by RA.


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