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Inadequate Niacin Intake Disrupts Growth and Retinol Homeostasis Resulting in Higher Liver and Lower Serum Retinol Concentrations in Male Rats
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Inadequate Niacin Intake Disrupts Growth and Retinol Homeostasis Resulting in Higher Liver and Lower Serum Retinol Concentrations in Male Rats

Tyler J. Titcomb, Fariba Fathi, Mikayla S. Kaeppler, Sofia Beatriz Sandoval Cates, Paulo Falco Cobra, John L. Markley, Jesse F Gregory III and Sherry A. Tanumihardjo
The Journal of nutrition, Vol.153(8), pp.2263-2273
08/01/2023
DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.06.026
PMCID: PMC10493434
PMID: 37354977
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.06.026View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Background: Niacin-derived nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is an essential cofactor for many dehydrogenase enzymes involved in vitamin A (VA) metabolism. Several countries with high prevalence of VA deficiency rely on maize, a poor source of available niacin, as a dietary staple. Objectives: This study evaluated the interaction of dietary niacin on VA homeostasis using male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 21 d (baseline body weight 88.3 +/- 6.6 g). Methods: After 1 wk of acclimation, baseline samples were collected (n = 4). Remaining rats (n = 54) were split into 9 groups to receive low tryptophan, VA-deficient feed with 3 different amounts of niacin (0, 15, or 30 mg/kg) and 3 different oral VA doses (50, 350, or 3500 nmol/d) in a 3 x 3 design. After 4 wk, the study was terminated. Serum, livers, and small intestine were analyzed for retinoids using high-performance liquid chromatography. Niacin and metabolites were evaluated with nuclear magnetic resonance. Plasma pyridoxal-P (PLP) was measured with high-performance liquid chromatography. Results: Niacin intake correlated with serum retinol concentrations (r = 0.853, P < 0.001). For rats receiving the highest VA dose, liver retinol concentrations were lower in the 30-mg/kg niacin group (5.39 +/- 0.27 mu mol/g) than those in the 0-mg/kg and 15-mg/kg groups (9.18 +/- 0.62 and 8.75 +/- 0.07 mu mol/g, respectively; P <= 0.05 for both). This phenomenon also occurred in the lower VA doses (P <= 0.05 for all). Growth and tissue weight at endline were associated with niacin intake (P <= 0.001 for all). Plasma PLP correlated with estimated niacin intake (r = 0.814, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Optimal niacin intake is associated with lower liver VA and higher serum retinol and plasma PLP concentrations. The extent to which vitamin B intake affects VA homeostasis requires further investigation to determine if the effects are maintained in humans.
Life Sciences & Biomedicine Nutrition & Dietetics Science & Technology

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