Vitamin A deficiency and glucocorticoid receptor activity in rat liver.

The influence of vitamin A on the binding properties of hepatic glucocorticoid receptors (GR) was studied in young rats 7 weeks after they had been given a diet with or without vitamin A. Scatchard analysis showed an increased capacity of cytosolic GRs to bind dexamethasone in vitamin A deficiency. In these rats, an increase in tyrosine aminotransferase also occurred, and this could be related to the increased formation of hormone-GR complexes. Measurement of protein kinase C activity showed an increase which might be related to the functional activity of GRs.