Lipofuscin in vitamin E deficiency and the possible role of retinol

This study was designed to determine if the vitamin A status of rats could affect the degree of lipofuscin formation in vitamin E deficient rats, inasmuch as an earlier report proposed a retinoyl complex in human brain lipofuscin pigment. Female rats were depleted of vitamin E from weaning while being maintained on different intakes of vitamin A (0, 0.8 and 8.0 mg/kg diet). The amount of lipofuscin present in the uterus was estimated at intervals between 2 and 8 months by visual observations, by histological fluorescence and by organic solvent extractable fluorescence. There was no difference in pigment deposition by any of the three criteria used, whether the animals were made retinol deficient and maintained on retinoic acid or were fed a low or high intake of retinol. Organic solvent extractable fluorescence was a poor indicator of the degree of pigment deposition in the uterus. It appears unlikely that retinol is a significant component of lipofuscin pigment in this tissue.