Vitamin A physiology in the precocious harbour seal ( Phoca vitulina ): a tissue-based biomarker approach
Vitamin A is a nutrient essential to all mammals for growth and development, as well as for the maintenance of reproductive, endocrine, and immune systems. Environmental contaminant-related disruption of vitamin A has been observed in many wildlife species and can therefore be used as a biomarker of...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
2002
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z02-152 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z02-152 |
id |
crcansciencepubl:10.1139/z02-152 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crcansciencepubl:10.1139/z02-152 2023-12-17T10:31:16+01:00 Vitamin A physiology in the precocious harbour seal ( Phoca vitulina ): a tissue-based biomarker approach Mos, Lizzy Ross, Peter S 2002 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z02-152 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z02-152 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 80, issue 9, page 1511-1519 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics journal-article 2002 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/z02-152 2023-11-19T13:39:36Z Vitamin A is a nutrient essential to all mammals for growth and development, as well as for the maintenance of reproductive, endocrine, and immune systems. Environmental contaminant-related disruption of vitamin A has been observed in many wildlife species and can therefore be used as a biomarker of toxic effects. However, the natural processes regulating vitamin A uptake, storage, and distribution among compartments are poorly understood in marine mammals. In this study, 20 young healthy harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) were captured to establish a compartment-based model providing a foundation for a mechanistic understanding of vitamin A physiology and disruption. Vitamin A (retinol, retinyl palmitate, and (or) retinoic acid) was quantified in blood plasma and in biopsy samples of liver, blubber, and skin. Although the highest concentrations of vitamin A were found in liver, blubber represents a more important storage depot, with an estimated 66% of the total retinoid content of the compartments measured. We suggest that vitamin A physiology in the precocious harbour seal has evolved to deal with high vitamin A availability during a short nursing period and to sustain growth during the postweaning fast. Positive correlations in vitamin A concentrations among liver, blubber, and skin support the use of less invasive biopsy sampling of just blubber or skin, which can provide physiologically relevant information in biomarker studies of free-ranging marine mammals. Article in Journal/Newspaper harbour seal Phoca vitulina Canadian Science Publishing (via Crossref) Canadian Journal of Zoology 80 9 1511 1519 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Canadian Science Publishing (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
topic |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
spellingShingle |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Mos, Lizzy Ross, Peter S Vitamin A physiology in the precocious harbour seal ( Phoca vitulina ): a tissue-based biomarker approach |
topic_facet |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
description |
Vitamin A is a nutrient essential to all mammals for growth and development, as well as for the maintenance of reproductive, endocrine, and immune systems. Environmental contaminant-related disruption of vitamin A has been observed in many wildlife species and can therefore be used as a biomarker of toxic effects. However, the natural processes regulating vitamin A uptake, storage, and distribution among compartments are poorly understood in marine mammals. In this study, 20 young healthy harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) were captured to establish a compartment-based model providing a foundation for a mechanistic understanding of vitamin A physiology and disruption. Vitamin A (retinol, retinyl palmitate, and (or) retinoic acid) was quantified in blood plasma and in biopsy samples of liver, blubber, and skin. Although the highest concentrations of vitamin A were found in liver, blubber represents a more important storage depot, with an estimated 66% of the total retinoid content of the compartments measured. We suggest that vitamin A physiology in the precocious harbour seal has evolved to deal with high vitamin A availability during a short nursing period and to sustain growth during the postweaning fast. Positive correlations in vitamin A concentrations among liver, blubber, and skin support the use of less invasive biopsy sampling of just blubber or skin, which can provide physiologically relevant information in biomarker studies of free-ranging marine mammals. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mos, Lizzy Ross, Peter S |
author_facet |
Mos, Lizzy Ross, Peter S |
author_sort |
Mos, Lizzy |
title |
Vitamin A physiology in the precocious harbour seal ( Phoca vitulina ): a tissue-based biomarker approach |
title_short |
Vitamin A physiology in the precocious harbour seal ( Phoca vitulina ): a tissue-based biomarker approach |
title_full |
Vitamin A physiology in the precocious harbour seal ( Phoca vitulina ): a tissue-based biomarker approach |
title_fullStr |
Vitamin A physiology in the precocious harbour seal ( Phoca vitulina ): a tissue-based biomarker approach |
title_full_unstemmed |
Vitamin A physiology in the precocious harbour seal ( Phoca vitulina ): a tissue-based biomarker approach |
title_sort |
vitamin a physiology in the precocious harbour seal ( phoca vitulina ): a tissue-based biomarker approach |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z02-152 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z02-152 |
genre |
harbour seal Phoca vitulina |
genre_facet |
harbour seal Phoca vitulina |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 80, issue 9, page 1511-1519 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/z02-152 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
80 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
1511 |
op_container_end_page |
1519 |
_version_ |
1785584480321273856 |