Key result
Tissue vitamin A deficiency in young female rats stimulated cardiac remodeling and ventricular dysfunction, with significantly reduced cardiac vitamin A levels (0.24 vs 0.95 micromol/kg; p=0.01).
Why the study?
Does tissue vitamin A deficiency induce adverse myocardial remodeling and ventricular dysfunction in young adult rats?
Does tissue vitamin A deficiency induce adverse myocardial remodeling and ventricular dysfunction in young adult rats?
Absolute Event Rate: 0.24% vs 0.95%
p-value: p=0.01
Tissue vitamin A deficiency in rats induces adverse cardiac remodeling, ventricular dysfunction, oxidative stress, and altered energy metabolism.
Should not change clinical practice; hypothesis-generating for vitamin A in human cardiac remodeling.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Experimental studies suggest that vitamin A plays a role in regulating cardiac structure and function. We tested the hypothesis that cardiac vitamin A deficiency is associated with adverse myocardial remodeling in young adult rats. METHODS: Two groups of young female rats, control (C - n = 29) and tissue vitamin A deficient (RVA - n = 31), were subjected to transthoracic echocardiography exam, isolated rat heart study and biochemical study. RESULTS: The RVA rats showed a reduced total vitamin A concentration in both the liver and heart [vitamin A in heart, micromol/kg (C = 0.95 +/- 0.44 and RVA = 0.24 +/- 0.16, p = 0.01)] with the same serum retinol levels (C = 0.73 +/- 0.29 micromol/L e RVA = 0.62 +/- 0.17 micromol/L, p = 0.34). The RVA rats showed higher left ventricular diameters and reduced systolic function. The RVA rats also demonstrated increased lipid hydroperoxide/total antioxidant capacity ratio and cardiac levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha but not of metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 activity. On the other hand, the RVA rats had decreased levels of beta-hydroxyacylcoenzyme A dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase. CONCLUSIONS: Tissue vitamin A deficiency stimulated cardiac remodeling and ventricular dysfunction. Additionally, the data support the involvement of oxidative stress, energy metabolism, and cytokine production in this remodeling process.
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Azevedo et al. (2010) studied Tissue vitamin A deficiency (n=60). Tissue vitamin A deficiency vs. Control was evaluated on Cardiac vitamin A concentration (micromol/kg) (p=0.01). Tissue vitamin A deficiency in young female rats stimulated cardiac remodeling and ventricular dysfunction, with significantly reduced cardiac vitamin A levels (0.24 vs 0.95 micromol/kg; p=0.01).
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