Effect of dietary retinyl acetate, beta-carotene and retinoic acid on wound healing in rats.

Abstract

The effects of feeding various levels and combinations of retinyl acetate, beta-carotene, or retinoic acid on skin wound healing in rats was investigated. Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a vitamin A-free diet for 2 weeks to produce marginal vitamin A status. After a paravertebral incision was made and closed with suture, one of several diets were fed for either 5 or 14 days. Surgery and recovery did not reduce liver vitamin A nor serum retinol levels compared to nonoperated pair-fed controls. Supplemental retinyl acetate feeding at five times the NRC-suggested allowance resulted in a mild, but significantly increased postmortem wound tensile strength after 5 days compared to rats fed the suggested allowance. Although a low level of retinoic acid in the diet (1.3 microgram/g diet) depressed wound strength at 5 days, a higher level (5.2 microgram/g) increased the strength 57% above controls. Still higher levels (49.1 microgram/g) did not further increase the tensile strength of the wound. beta-Carotene fed the requirement level for 5 days (with compensation made for utilization as one-sixth that of retinol) doubled wound strength compared to rats fed the requirements as retinyl acetate. Vitamin A feeding did not enhance wound strength after 14 days of feeding. It is concluded that supplemental retinyl acetate, beta-carotene, or in some cases all-trans-retinoic acid can be effective in enhancing wound strength, 5 days, but not 14 days after surgery, of young male rats with marginal vitamin A status.

• Authors: L E Gerber, J W Erdman Jr
• Journal: The Journal of nutrition (J Nutr) Vol. 112 Issue 8 Pg. 1555-64 (Aug 1982) ISSN: 0022-3166 [Print] United States
• PMID: 7097365 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Diterpenes
• Retinyl Esters
• beta Carotene
• Vitamin A
• Carotenoids
• retinol acetate
• Tretinoin

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Animals
• Carotenoids (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Diterpenes
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Male
• Rats
• Rats, Inbred Strains
• Retinyl Esters
• Skin (injuries)
• Time Factors
• Tretinoin (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Vitamin A (administration & dosage, analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Wound Healing (drug effects)
• beta Carotene