[Retinol and lipid peroxidation]

Abstract

The addition of retinol "in vitro" to erythrocyte ghosts and to subcellular fractions of normal rat liver, kidney and spleen homogenates, strongly decreases their lipid peroxide production. This retinol-effect is dose-dependent and can be observed also at physiological doses. The antilipoperoxidative effect of retinol has also been demonstrated "in vivo", in the nuclear and mitochondrial fractions of liver homogenates and in the nuclear fraction of spleen homogenates. A contrasting effect (prolipoperoxidative) of retinol has been observed in mitochondrial fraction of kidney and spleen homogenates and in the microsomial fraction of spleen homogenates. These results are discussed and related to tocopherol metabolism in A-hypervitaminotic rats and to the well-known antagonism between retinol and cholecalcipherol, whose prolipoperoxidative action "in vivo" is recorded.