2
M. A. Asson-Batres
Abbreviations
CRABP
Cellular retinoic acid binding protein
CRBP
Cellular retinol binding protein
GAP43
Growth associated protein 43
IU
International units
LV
Left ventricle
LTD
Long-term depression
LTP
Long-term potentiation
LRAT
Lecithin retinyl acyl transferase
LRVAD
LRAT vitamin A deficient
LRVAS
LRAT vitamin A sufficient
MES
Mouse embryonic stem cells
OMP
Olfactory marker protein
ORN
Olfactory receptor neuron
PCNA
Proliferating cell nuclear antigen
RARs/RXRs Retinoic acid receptors
RALDH
Retinaldehyde dehydrogenase
RARE
Retinoic acid response element
RID
Retinol isotope dilution
RV
Right ventricle
WTVAS
Wild type vitamin A sufficient
Introduction
When Osborne and Mendel published their work on the food value of isolated proteins (1919)
they demonstrated more than a mere inequality in the value of various isolated proteins for
growth. They demonstrated that milk or whey contained an unknown factor which was
essential for normal nutrition under their experimental conditions, and what was far more
important, that a small laboratory animal, such as the rat, could be used successfully in
a very practical and simple manner for the determination of food values. In consequence,
many investigators in the field of nutrition, shook off the shackles of conventionality, which
had indicated the necessity for the use of complicated calorimetric apparatus and tedious
metabolism trials over long periods of time and turned to the use of … small laboratory
animals kept on meticulously controlled rations… As in all great achievements, the impetus
given to this development by Osborne and Mendel did not come from a clear sky. Many
were the previous attempts. Biological literature records the work of Lunin as early as 1881.
Later there followed the work of Socin in 1891, Rohmann in 1902, Henriques and Hansen
in 1904–5, Falta and Noggerath in 1905, Jacob in 1906, Willcock and Hopkins in 1907,
Pekelharing in 1905, Hopkins in 1912, McCollum in 1909 and Stepp in 1909–1913; and
undoubtedly there were made many other attempts by investigators who, discouraged by not
securing adequate nutrition, did not publish their results (Steenbock 1932).
More than 7000 research articles have been published from 1913 to 2019, detailing
the effects of a diet deficient in “fat-soluble A”, later classified as “vitamin A”
M. A. Asson-Batres
Abbreviations
CRABP
Cellular retinoic acid binding protein
CRBP
Cellular retinol binding protein
GAP43
Growth associated protein 43
IU
International units
LV
Left ventricle
LTD
Long-term depression
LTP
Long-term potentiation
LRAT
Lecithin retinyl acyl transferase
LRVAD
LRAT vitamin A deficient
LRVAS
LRAT vitamin A sufficient
MES
Mouse embryonic stem cells
OMP
Olfactory marker protein
ORN
Olfactory receptor neuron
PCNA
Proliferating cell nuclear antigen
RARs/RXRs Retinoic acid receptors
RALDH
Retinaldehyde dehydrogenase
RARE
Retinoic acid response element
RID
Retinol isotope dilution
RV
Right ventricle
WTVAS
Wild type vitamin A sufficient
Introduction
When Osborne and Mendel published their work on the food value of isolated proteins (1919)
they demonstrated more than a mere inequality in the value of various isolated proteins for
growth. They demonstrated that milk or whey contained an unknown factor which was
essential for normal nutrition under their experimental conditions, and what was far more
important, that a small laboratory animal, such as the rat, could be used successfully in
a very practical and simple manner for the determination of food values. In consequence,
many investigators in the field of nutrition, shook off the shackles of conventionality, which
had indicated the necessity for the use of complicated calorimetric apparatus and tedious
metabolism trials over long periods of time and turned to the use of … small laboratory
animals kept on meticulously controlled rations… As in all great achievements, the impetus
given to this development by Osborne and Mendel did not come from a clear sky. Many
were the previous attempts. Biological literature records the work of Lunin as early as 1881.
Later there followed the work of Socin in 1891, Rohmann in 1902, Henriques and Hansen
in 1904–5, Falta and Noggerath in 1905, Jacob in 1906, Willcock and Hopkins in 1907,
Pekelharing in 1905, Hopkins in 1912, McCollum in 1909 and Stepp in 1909–1913; and
undoubtedly there were made many other attempts by investigators who, discouraged by not
securing adequate nutrition, did not publish their results (Steenbock 1932).
More than 7000 research articles have been published from 1913 to 2019, detailing
the effects of a diet deficient in “fat-soluble A”, later classified as “vitamin A”