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Updated: May 28, 2026

Quantitative Analysis of Dietary Vitamin A Metabolites in Murine Ocular and Non-Ocular Tissues Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
Published on: December 27, 2024
Analysis, occurrence, and function of 9-cis-retinoic acid
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. mkane@rx.umaryland.edu
9-cis-retinoic acid (9cRA), a vitamin A metabolite, was detected in pancreatic tissue using LC-MS/MS. This finding advances understanding of retinoid metabolism and potential therapeutic applications.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Vitamin A (retinol) is metabolically converted to retinoic acid (RA), regulating physiological processes.
- 9-cis-retinoic acid (9cRA) is an active RA metabolite, a ligand for RXR and RAR.
- In vivo detection of 9cRA in tissues remained challenging despite candidate enzyme identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current status of 9-cis-retinoic acid (9cRA) analysis, occurrence, and function.
- To highlight the recent in vivo identification of 9cRA in pancreatic tissue.
- To explore the potential of 9cRA in disease physiology and therapeutics.
Main Methods:
- Validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for 9cRA detection.
- Review of existing literature on retinoid metabolism and nuclear receptor signaling.
- Discussion of nuclear receptor-mediated and non-genomic mechanisms.
Main Results:
- 9-cis-retinoic acid (9cRA) was successfully identified as an endogenous retinoid in pancreatic tissue.
- LC-MS/MS methodology provided validated detection of 9cRA in vivo.
- Established importance of RXRs through knockout experiments.
Conclusions:
- The in vivo detection of 9cRA in pancreatic tissue is a significant advancement.
- Understanding 9cRA's mechanisms can elucidate disease physiology.
- Further research may lead to novel retinoid-based therapeutics.
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