These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Vitamin E enhances the lymphatic transport of beta-carotene and its conversion to vitamin A in the ferret.
    Author: Wang XD, Marini RP, Hebuterne X, Fox JG, Krinsky NI, Russell RM.
    Journal: Gastroenterology; 1995 Mar; 108(3):719-26. PubMed ID: 7875474.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND/AIMS: beta-Carotene and alpha-tocopherol may have either antagonistic or synergistic effects on each other's absorption and metabolism. The effects of both physiological and pharmacological concentrations of alpha-tocopherol on the absorption and metabolism of beta-carotene in ferret intestine were determined. METHODS: A high concentration of beta-carotene was perfused through the upper portion of the small intestine of ferrets in vivo with varying levels of alpha-tocopherol. The effluent of a mesenteric lymph duct cannulation, the intestinal mucosal scraping, and portal vein blood were sampled and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: The lymphatic transport of beta-carotene was enhanced 4-fold by alpha-tocopherol at a physiological dose and 12-21-fold at a pharmacological dose. The lymphatic transport of alpha-tocopherol was linearly (r = 0.8; P < 0.05) related to the luminal alpha-tocopherol concentration even in the presence of a high concentration of beta-carotene. Furthermore, alpha-tocopherol increased the conversion of beta-carotene into retinol in the intestine in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: alpha-Tocopherol has a positive effect on the intestinal absorption of intact beta-carotene and may modulate the metabolic conversion of beta-carotene into retinoids.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]