el-Ghorab M, Knapka J, Underwood B A
National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Lab Anim Sci. 1987 Aug;37(4):465-7.
Clinical and biochemical evidence of vitamin A deficiency was produced in rabbits as early as 4-5 weeks after weaning to a vitamin A deficient diet from dams maintained during lactation on the deficient diet. Mean serum retinol levels at the time of weaning for the deficient dams were 25 +/- 6 micrograms/dl compared with 74 +/- 8 micrograms/dl for the controls. Five weeks after weaning, 25% of pups fed the vitamin A deficient diet had ocular lesions characterized by the accumulation of sloughed epithelium on the cornea. At this time, mean serum values of the pups were 10 +/- 4 micrograms/dl for the deficient group and 73 +/- 8 micrograms/dl for the controls. Evidence of critically depleted liver stores was documented in the deficient rabbits by an elevated relative dose response test (54 +/- 18%) that did not occur in the control group (6 +/- 5%). Although food consumption was similar, weight gain was lower in the deficient group when compared to the control group.
早在将幼兔从哺乳期食用缺乏维生素A饮食的母兔处断奶，并使其食用缺乏维生素A的饮食4至5周后，就产生了维生素A缺乏的临床和生化证据。缺乏维生素A的母兔断奶时的平均血清视黄醇水平为25±6微克/分升，而对照组为74±8微克/分升。断奶五周后，25%食用缺乏维生素A饮食的幼兔出现眼部病变，其特征为角膜上有脱落上皮堆积。此时，缺乏维生素A组幼兔的平均血清值为10±4微克/分升，对照组为74±8微克/分升。通过相对剂量反应试验升高（54±18%）证明缺乏维生素A的兔子肝脏储备严重不足，而对照组未出现这种情况（6±5%）。尽管食物消耗量相似，但与对照组相比，缺乏维生素A组的体重增加较低。
