EVALUATION OF A 2-GENERATION RAT MODEL FOR VITAMIN-A-DEFICIENCY AND THE INTERRELATIONSHIP WITH IRON-METABOLISM

In order to induce a range of vitamin A-deficient states in young grow ing rats and to study the effect of vitamin A deficiency on Fe status, we designed the following two-generation experiment. Dams were fed on diets with one of five vitamin A levels from 2 weeks before and throu ghout pregnancy and lactation. The pups received the same diets as the ir mothers both before and after weaning. The five dietary levels of v itamin A were 1200, 450, 150, 75 and 0 retinol equivalents/kg feed. Vi tamin A intake did not affect reproduction outcome, nor were body and liver weights of the pups affected when they were 3.5 weeks old. Male pups with normal vitamin A status had higher plasma retinol levels tha n female pups. Vitamin A status of the offspring was affected from 3.5 weeks onwards. Body and Liver weights were decreased in the male pups given the lowest dietary vitamin A levels from week 6.5 onwards but n ot in the female pups. Fe status was marginally affected, Haemoglobin levels were increased and total Fe-binding capacity was decreased in t he groups given no dietary vitamin A at week 9.5. Splenic Fe was incre ased only in the male pups given the lowest levels of dietary vitamin A. However, as a whole, Fe status was only mildly affected and subject to considerable variation. We conclude that the two-generation rat mo del described here is not suitable for studying effects of vitamin A d eficiency on Fe metabolism.