Postnatal distribution of vitamin A in liver, lung, heart and brain of the rat in relation to maternal vitamin A status.

The effect of low, medium and adequate vitamin A (6, 40 and 100 micrograms/day/kg body weight) supplementation to the dams was studied on the accumulation of vitamin A in various tissues of the rat during postnatal growth. The restricted supply of vitamin A to the mother resulted in an impaired growth of pups and their organs. The maternal hepatic stores of vitamin A were related to their vitamin A intake, being lowest in the low group and highest in the adequate group during their fetal development. The plasma vitamin A levels of dams were comparable in three groups at birth and on 10th day of postnatal age. The vitamin A contents of fetal hepatic and extra-hepatic tissues (lung, heart and brain) were increased with the age of pups and this increase was observed to be dependent on the supply of vitamin A to the mother.