Biochemical and Hematologic Changes in the Vitamin A-Deficient Rat

Abstract

In an initial experiment it was shown that in severely vitamin A-deficient rats (experimental group) there is a significant rise in hemoglobin and hematocrit, total plasma protein, beta globulin, gamma globulin and vitamin E levels. Further evidence is provided for the direct relationship between growth rate and vitamin A requirements. In a second experiment the hemoconcentration phenomenon and increases in plasma proteins occurred in the early stage of vitamin A deficiency and the values returned to normal eleven days after treatment with the vitamin. The close correlation between hematocrit and body weight in both control and experimental groups, before and after treatment, and the rapidity with which these changes occur, strongly suggest that vitamin A deficiency causes hemoconcentration through retardation of growth and not through its action on hemopoietic tissues.