Effect of vitamin A deficiency on pulmonary and hepatic protective enzymes in rat.

Rats were fed diet with or without vitamin A for 5-6 weeks. Vitamin A deficiency had differential effect on the activities of protective enzymes in lung and liver. Superoxide dismutase activity was reduced significantly in lung, whereas remained unchanged in liver, in vitamin A deficient group. Catalase activity was reduced both in lung and liver by inducing vitamin A deficiency. On the other hand, vitamin A deficiency resulted in significant increase in the activity of glutathione peroxidase in lung and had little effect in liver. NADPH dependent lipid peroxidation, as measured by TBA products, remained unaltered, both in lung and liver in vitamin A deficient animals when compared to control group. These results suggest that vitamin A deficiency does not seem to predispose lung and liver to the injurious effects of oxygen toxicity in vivo.