Interaction of ethanol and acute hypoxia (7620 m) on vitamin A distribution in rat organs.

The effect of a moderate dose of ethanol (3 g/kg body weight) and acute hypoxia (282 mmHg pressure) for 6 h on vitamin A content of rat tissue has been investigated. In addition, to find the effect of ethanol administration and hypoxic exposure on freshly absorbed vitamin A, a tracer dose of 3H-retinyl acetate was administered prior to hypoxic exposure. The results indicate that ethanol and hypoxia interfere in the transfer of vitamin A stored as well as freshly absorbed, from intestine to liver. When ethanol administered rats were exposed to hypoxia, the secretion of vitamin A from liver is also disturbed. The vitamin A metabolism in the tissues like kidney and lung are affected adversely on ethanol administration and/or hypoxic exposure. This could be due to interference in the transfer of vitamin A from intestine to liver and secretion of vitamin A from liver into plasma.