Replenishment of vitamin A for 7 days partially restored hepatic gene expressions altered by its deficiency in rats

Yan Zhang; Kui Tian; Guoxun Chen

doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.999323

Replenishment of vitamin A for 7 days partially restored hepatic gene expressions altered by its deficiency in rats

Front Nutr. 2022 Oct 6:9:999323. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.999323. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Yan Zhang¹, Kui Tian², Guoxun Chen³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Puren Hospital of Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
² Department of Radiology, Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
³ Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States.

Abstract

We investigated the effects of vitamin A (VA) status on metabolism of Zucker rats with different genders and genotypes, and of short-term refeeding of a VA sufficient (VAS) diet on VA deficient (VAD) animals. First, male and female Zucker lean (ZL) and fatty (ZF) rats at weaning were fed a VAD or VAS diet for 8 weeks. Second, male VAD ZL rats were fed a VAS diet for 3 (VAD-VAS3d) or 7 (VAD-VAS7d) days. The body weight (BW), blood parameters, and hepatic expressions of genes for metabolism were determined. VA deficiency reduced BW gain in ZL and ZF rats of either gender. VAD ZL rats had lower plasma glucose, insulin, and leptin levels than VAS ZL rats. VAD-VAS3d and VAD-VAS7d rats had higher plasma glucose, insulin, and leptin levels than that in the VAD rats. The hepatic mRNA levels of Gck, Cyp26a1, Srebp-1c, Igf1, Rarb, Rxra, Rxrg, Pparg, and Ppard were lowered by VA deficiency. Refeeding of the VAS diet for 3 days restored the Gck and Cyp26a1 expressions, and for 7 days restored the Gck, Cyp26a1, Igf1, and Rxrb expressions significantly. The 7-day VA replenishment partially restored the hepatic gene expressions and metabolic changes in VAD ZL rats.

Keywords: Zucker rats; body weight; hepatic gene expression; plasma glucose; vitamin A deficient; vitamin A sufficient.