Lipid Metabolism in Hypervitaminosis A

Abstract

SINCE the report of Moore and Wang¹ on hypervitaminosis A in rats, it is now recognized that administration of excessive doses of vitamin A influences the general metabolism of the host. Ray and Sadhu² reported that administration of large doses of vitamin A to rats caused an increase in liver fat. March and Biely³, and Wood⁴ reported that administration of vitamin A to young chickens lowered the elevated plasma cholesterol which resulted from the inclusion of 1 per cent cholesterol in their diet. Kinley and Krause⁵ also reported the hypocholesteraemic action of vitamin A in atherosclerotic patients. Pallotatta and Krause⁶ reported that administration of vitamin A elevated serum phospholipids. Van Bruggen and Straumfjord⁷, on the other hand, observed that long-term administration of large doses of vitamin A to patients raised their plasma cholesterol and phospholipid levels. Misra⁸ observed that administration of excessive doses of vitamin A to rats lowered their plasma cholesterol and raised phospholipid-levels. This communication describes the results obtained on the tissue lipids of rats given excessive doses of vitamin A.