The effect of vitamin A on ubiquinone and ubichromenol in the rat, and its relation to the effect of vitamin E

Abstract

Seven experiments were conducted with rats to determine effect of vitamin A deficiency, or combined vitamins A and E deficiency on ubiquinone and ubichromenol concentrations. No evidence was found suggestive of a metabolic role for vitamin A in synthesis of ubiquinone. In early vitamin A deficiency, increased ubiquinone concentrations were found in the liver, and later in the heart. It is postulated that vitamin A deficiency causes reduced organ size, thus increasing concentrations of ubiquinone; that vitamin E increases, which usually accompany vitamin A deficiency are important in increasing ubiquinone concentrations and that pathological changes in lipid metabolism characterized by fatty infiltration and abnormally high vitamin E concentrations in heart and liver, occurring in late stages of vitamin A deficiency, may be responsible for increased ubiquinone and ubichromenol concentrations in these organs.