Abstract
Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient for life and the phytochemical β-carotene, also known as pro-vitamin A, is an important dietary source of this vitamin. Vitamin A (retinol) is the parent compound of all bioactive retinoids but it is retinoic acid (RA) that is the active metabolite of vitamin A. The plasma concentration of retinol is maintained in a narrow range and its normal biological activities strictly regulated since excessive intake can lead to toxicity and thus also be detrimental to life. The present review will give an overview of how vitamin A homeostasis is maintained and move on to focus on the link between circulating vitamin A and metabolic disease states. Finally, we will examine how pharmacological or genetic alterations in vitamin A homeostasis and RA-signalling can influence body fat and blood glucose levels including a novel link to the liver secreted hormone fibroblast growth factor 21, an important metabolic regulator.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 597-602 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the Nutrition Society |
| Volume | 76 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 27 Jun 2017 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 2017 |
| Event | Nutrition Society Scottish Section Conference on ‘Phytochemicals and health: new perspectives on plant-based nutrition’: Symposium 3: Phytochemicals for healthier foods - The Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, United Kingdom Duration: 21 Mar 2016 → 22 Mar 2016 |
Bibliographical note
AcknowledgementsThe author would like to thank M. Delibegovic and P. McCaffery (both University of Aberdeen) for their helpful comments and proof reading in preparation of
this review.
Financial Support
Work in the author’s laboratory was supported by the British Heart Foundation Intermediate Basic Research Fellowship FS/09/026, The Royal Society (of London) grant, Tenovus Scotland grants G10/04 and G14/14 to N. Mody, University of Aberdeen Centre for Genome Enabled Biology and Medicine (CGEBM) PhD studentship to Nicola Morrice and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) studentship to George D. Mcilroy.
Keywords
- Retinoids
- Adiposity
- Glucose homeostasis
- Ceramide
- Fibroblast growth factor 21
Access to Document
- Accepted Manuscript
This article has been published in a revised form in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665117001069. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © copyright holder.