Sk. Kelley et al., Mobilization of vitamin a stores in rats after administration of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin: A kinetic analysis, TOXICOL SCI, 55(2), 2000, pp. 478-484
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a highly toxic environmental
contaminant that prevents the normal accumulation of vitamin A in liver and
causes increased excretion of vitamin A, To determine what alterations in
vitamin A metabolism occur first in response to TCDD treatment, we administ
ered TCDD (7.0 mu g/kg b.w,) orally to rats that had received a nonperturbi
ng (tracer) iv dose of [H-3]vitamin A-labeled plasma (n = 3) or lymph (n =
3) 21 days earlier. Within a few days after TCDD administration, fraction o
f the injected radiolabel in plasma, which had been in a terminal slope whe
n plotted on a semilog scale, increased and remained elevated until the exp
eriment was terminated (day 42), At that time, liver vitamin A levels were
65% lower in TCDD-perturbed rats than in controls. Using model-based compar
tmental analysis and compartmental models developed previously for control
rats (S. K. Kelley ef al,, 1998, Toxicol. Sci, 44:1-13), we determined the
minimal changes needed to account for the perturbation in plasma [H-3] trac
er responses after TCDD administration. We determined that the effects of T
CDD could be explained by adjusting the value of one fractional transfer co
efficient corresponding to the mobilization of vitamin A from large, slowly
turning-over pools. We speculate that this change corresponds to an increa
sed fractional rate of retinyl ester hydrolysis, and that it precedes the T
CDD-associated increased irreversible utilization and excretion of vitamin
A.