The effects of vitamin A and vitamin E deficiency upon the lipid components of erythrocyte membranes in Sprague-Dawley rats

Many biological and physiological disorders have been linked to the fragility of erythrocytes; Down's Syndrome is one such disorder. Individuals suffering from Down's Syndrome are characteristically vitamin A and vitamin E deficient. Vitamin E deficiency is not solely responsible for erythrocyte fragility (32) as had been previously suggested (22). This research project was designed to study a possible correlation between the deficiency of vitamin A and vitamin E in rats and a possible difference in the lipid constitution of the erythrocyte membrane. Results indicate that a deficiency of vitamin A and vitamin E leads to reduced levels of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine in the erythrocyte membrane as compared to controls. Cholesterol, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylinositol were found not to differ statistically between the control and the vitamin deficient groups of rats. This may be due to the fact that the two phospholipids were below the detectable limits of the method. Sphingomyelin was not detectable by the methods employed, no conclusion can be made regarding its level.