ARS | Publication request: ALTERATIONS IN PLASMA RETINOIDS AND IMMUNE PARAMETERS OF HOLSTEIN CALVES ASA RESULT OF ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF 13-CIS RETINOIC ACID

Submitted to: American Dairy Science Association Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 8, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Previous studies involving 13-cis retinoic acid, a known biological metabolite of vitamin A, were conducted using intramuscular injections. Little is known about effects of oral administration of 13-cis retinoic acid. Therefore, ten calves, age- and sex-matched, were assigned to treatments determining effects of oral administration of 13-cis retinoic acid on serum Ig concentrations, plasma retinoic acid concentrations, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell populations. Treatments were control (1 ml vegetable oil, n=5) and 100 mg 13-cis-retinoic acid in 1 ml vegetable oil (n=5) per day for five consecutive days. Average age of the calves was 29.6 days and ranged from 21 to 48 days. Treatments were added to milk at the morning feeding to insure intake of the oil or 13-cis retinoic acid in oil. Calves were weaned after the last treatment. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein on 3 separate days prior to beginning treatment and 3 days weekly for six weeks thereafter. Serum samples were analyzed for total IgM and plasma samples were analyzed for retinoic acids. Leukocytes were harvested from whole blood and subjected to flow cytometry for analysis of mononuclear cell populations. Oral administration of 13-cis retinoic acid resulted in elevated (P<.05) plasma concentrations of 13-cis and all-trans retinoic acid compared with control calves.