Vitamin A Metabolism and Adipose Tissue Biology 英文参考文献.docVIP

Nutrients 2011, 3, 27-39; doi:10.3390/nu3010027 OPEN ACCESS nutrients ISSN 2072-6643 /journal/nutrients Review Vitamin A Metabolism and Adipose Tissue Biology Simone K. Frey and Silke Vogel * Department of Medicine and the Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, 630 W 168th Street, PS 1512, New York, NY 10032, USA; E-Mail: mail@simonefrey.de * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: sv98@; Tel.: +1-212-305-4808; Fax: +1-212-305-3079. Received: 20 November 2010; in revised form: 14 December 2010 / Accepted: 5 January 2011 / Published: 6 January 2011 Abstract: In recent years, the importance of vitamin A in adipose tissue biology, obesity and type II diabetes has become apparent. This review focuses on recent developments within the area of vitamin A and adipose tissue biology. Adipose tissue has an active vitamin A metabolism as it not only stores vitamin A but retinol is also converted to its active metabolite retinoic acid. Several mouse models point to a relationship between vitamin A metabolism and the development of adiposity. Similarly, in vitro studies provide new molecular mechanisms for the function of different forms of vitamin A and retinol- or retinoic acid-binding proteins in adipose tissue. Keywords: retinol; retinoic acid; adipose tissue; cellular retinol-binding protein; beta-carotene; adipogenesis 1. Introduction Vitamin A must be obtained from the diet by intake of either food containing preformed vitamin A (e.g., red meats) or provitamin A carotenoids (e.g., carrots, green leafy vegetables). Most actions of retinol are mediated by its metabolite retinoic acid, which is synthesized intracelluarly in target tissue from retinol [1]. In the first step, retinol is reversibly oxidized to retinaldehyde. Two major enzyme classes, cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenases (ADHs) and microsomal short-chain dehydrogenases (SDR) have been proposed to