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Science 6 February 1976:
Vol. 191. no. 4226, pp. 472 - 475
DOI: 10.1126/science.1246630
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Articles

Science, Vol 191, Issue 4226, 472-475
Copyright © 1976 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Vitamin A: not required for adrenal steroidogenesis in rats

KA Gruber, LV O'Brien, and R Gerstner

Previous work supporting the vitamin A dependency of adrenal function in rats neglected to take into account a secondary effect of the deficiency, a decrease in hepatic ascorbic acid biosynthesis. Vitamin A-depleted rats maintained on a diet free of ascorbate had a decrease in the activity of adrenal 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and extensive adrenocortical degeneration. The use of an ascorbate supplement prevented the symptoms. The results suggest that previous evidence for direct involvement of vitamin A in steroidogenesis may have been due to the production of a secondary deficiency, a chronic scorbutic condition.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)