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Retinoic acid administration and vitamin A status modulate retinoid X receptor α and retinoic acid receptor α levels in mouse brown adipose tissue

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Abstract

Background/Aims: Retinoic acid (RA), the carboxylic acid form of vitamin A, through the activation of cognate receptors, stimulates the transcription of the gene encoding uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), which is critical to brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis. RA was previously shown to down-regulate the steady state levels of retinoic acid receptor α (RARα) and retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) in primary brown adipocytes differentiated in culture. Our aim was to study the impact of RA-treatment and vitamin A status on the expression levels of these receptors in vivo. Methods: Three-week-old mice were fed standard chow or a vitamin A deficient diet for 10 weeks, after which animals on both diets were treated with all-trans RA (ATRA, 100 mg·Kg−1·day−1) or vehicle during 4 days. Levels of UCP1, RARα and RXRα in BAT were determined by immunoblotting. Results: ATRA-treatment resulted in a reduction of the specific RARα and especially RXRα content in BAT that paralleled the induction of UCP1 appearance in the tissue. RARα and RXRα levels per gram of BAT were reduced in mice chronically fed the vitamin A-deficient diet. Conclusion: RA modulates the expression of cognate receptors in BAT, suggesting auto regulation of the retinoid effect on the thermogenic system (Mol Cell Biochem 266: 25–30, 2004)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Nutrition and Biotechnology, Department of Fundamental Biology and Health Sciences, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    Joan Ribot, Francisco Felipe, M. Luisa Bonet & Andreu Palou

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  1. Joan Ribot
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  2. Francisco Felipe
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  3. M. Luisa Bonet
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  4. Andreu Palou
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Ribot, J., Felipe, F., Bonet, M.L. et al. Retinoic acid administration and vitamin A status modulate retinoid X receptor α and retinoic acid receptor α levels in mouse brown adipose tissue. Mol Cell Biochem 266, 25–30 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:MCBI.0000049129.29612.14

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