Effect of vitamin A supplementation for 3 days on iron metabolism, liver function indicator enzymes and differential cell counts in bone marrow of rats with severe vitamin A deficiency

Rats with severe vitamin A deficiency were supplemented with vitamin A for 3 days; control rats were not supplemented. Vitamin A supplementation produced an increase in plasma retinol levels, but iron metabolism as assessed by hematological variables, plasma iron concentration, total iron- binding capacity and organ iron content was not affected. The high plasma concentrations of alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) and aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) in the control rats, indicative of liver damage, were normalized by vitamin A supplementation. Differential counts of bone marrow cells revealed that vitamin A supplementation increased myelopoiesis relative to erythropoiesis. We conclude that vitamin A supplementation for 3 days to rats with severe vitamin A deficiency corrects liver damage, influences blood cell synthesis, but does not affect iron status.