Retinol isotope dilution accurately predicts liver reserves in piglets but overestimates reserves in lactating sows.

Vitamin A (VA) deficiency and hypervitaminosis A have been reported in groups of people worldwide. Conventional biomarkers of VA deficiency (e.g. serum retinol concentration, dose response tests) are not able to distinguish between sufficiency and hypervitaminosis A. Retinol isotope dilution (RID) predictions of VA status have been validated in humans and animal models from deficiency through toxicity; however, RID during life stages with unique issues related to isotopic tracing, such as infancy and lactation, requires further evaluation. This study investigated RID in piglets and lactating sows as models for human infants and women. In piglets, RID successfully determined VA deficiency (confirmed with liver analysis), and that the tracer mixes quickly. Conversely, in lactating sows, although serum and milk enrichments were similar, traditional RID equations overestimated VA stores, likely due to losses of tracer and higher extrahepatic VA storage than predictions. These data inform researchers about the challenges of using RID during lactation.