Abstract
The vitamin A status in 11 generally healthy surgical patients was estimated by measuring the dilution of a 45-mg oral dose of tetradeuterated retinyl acetate (99% pure). After purification of retinol by high-performance liquid chromatography, the ratio of 2H4-retinol:1H-retinol in plasma was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. On the basis of the observed ratios of [2H4]retinol:[1H]retinol over 19-47 d, the total body reserves and liver concentrations of vitamin A were calculated. Liver biopsy samples taken at surgery were directly analyzed for vitamin A. The correlation coefficient between calculated and measured liver vitamin A concentrations for 10 of the subjects was 0.88, and the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was 0.95 (p < 0.002). Thus, total body reserves of vitamin A in humans can be estimated validly in the marginal and satisfactory ranges by a benign, relatively noninvasive procedure.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 713-716 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | American Journal of Clinical Nutrition |
Volume | 49 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1989 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Nutrition and Dietetics