On the physiological basis of vitamin A-stimulated growth

Abstract

The influence of vitamin A depletion on tissue composition was studied in rats that were marginally vitamin A deficient, i.e. at their weight plateau stage. The total number of cells (DNA) was decreased in most organs as a result of vitamin A depletion. In thymus, spleen and the sublingual glands there was also a dramatic reduction in the number of cells per gram of tissue and in thymus and sublingual glands there was an increase in the protein to DNA ratio as a result of absence of dietary vitamin A. We present the hypothesis that vitamin A stimulates growth by a direct role in cell replication in addition to or instead of stimulating the differentiation of epithelial and bone cells.