Vitamin A status affects the development of diabetes and insulitis in BB rats
Abstract
BB/Wor rats develop autoimmune diabetes mellitus with many features in common with human insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Since retinoids are known to have effects on insulin secretion and immune function, these studies were designed to investigate the effects of retinoid deficiency on diabetes in BB/Wor rats and to identify a role for retinoid status in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes mellitus. Litters of diabetes-prone (DP) and diabetes-resistant (DR) BB/Wor rats were divided at weaning and fed a diet either (1) devoid of retinoids and leading to clinical deficiency at approximately 60 days of age (A-def diet)-following 10 days of clinical deficiency, rats on the A-def diet were changed to a diet containing 2 microg/g retinoic (A-def/RA diet); (2) containing 2 microg/g retinoic acid but deficient in retinol (RA diet); or (3) replete in retinol with 4 microg/g retinyl palmitate (RP diet). Rats receiving RP or RA diets were pair-fed to rats on the A-def/RA diet. Diabetes by 120 days of age was greatly reduced (P < .01) in DP rats that received the A-def/RA diet (four of 27) or RA diet (four of 29) versus the RP diet (13 of 31). Insulitis progressed with age in nondiabetic DP rats receiving the RP diet (P < .02) or R...Continue Reading
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