Effect of retinoic acid and apo-RBP on serum retinol concentration in acute renal failure.

We recently demonstrated a rapid up-regulation of serum retinol-retinol binding protein-transthyretin concentration in rats with short-term acute renal failure. We examine the effect of retinoic acid and apo-retinol binding protein (apo-RBP) on the up-regulation of serum retinol in renal failure. Injection of retinoic acid (10 micrograms) into rats with acute renal failure or sham-operated rats increased circulatory retinoic acid concentration 29-fold within 2 h but did not influence serum retinol concentration in either group. Injection of a large dose of retinoic acid (100 micrograms) decreased serum retinol concentration in rats with acute renal failure (19%) and sham-operated rats (29%). These results suggest that changes in serum retinoic acid concentration within the near-physiological range have no effect on regulation of hepatic retinol release. Injection of a large dose of retinoic acid may depress serum retinol indirectly via a retinol sparing effect in target tissues. In rats with renal failure the serum retinol concentration, elevated 44-52% above that of sham-operated controls, was also increased to 70-164% above controls by the injection of 52-63 micrograms of apo-RBP. This suggests that circulatory apo-RBP can up-regulate serum retinol. Circulatory apo-RBP may be a positive physiological feedback signal from peripheral tissues for hepatic release of retinol.