Vitamin A Linked to Severe Inflammation of the Gut

In the study, the mice that lacked ISX could not control their vitamin A levels. Being unable to turn off the gene that expressed the enzyme Bco1, they overproduced vitamin A and absorbed too many immune cells into the small intestine. This, in turn, resulted in severe inflammation in the small intestine, which then spread to the pancreas. “Too much vitamin A can promote inflammatory disease. In future studies, the ISX-deficient mouse will be a versatile model to study the molecular details of the intriguing interplay between diet and gastrointestinal immunity,” said Johannes von Lintig, associate professor of pharmacology at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine.