Vitamin A-deficiency and its effects on the lysosomal enzymes of fish.

The effect of vitamin A-deficiency on the structural integrity of lysosomes in the skeletal muscle and skin of Heteropneustes fossilis, a dehydroretinol-rich freshwater siluroid used in pisciculture, has been evaluated. Dietary stress was found to cause enhanced release of acid hydrolases from both skeletal muscle and skin tissues. The results indicate that the regulation of lysosomal membrane stability in these tissues is a function of vitamin A.