Jittaporn WattanasereeJisnuson SvastiPim BubpanirojViroj MitranondMahidol University2018-10-122018-10-121984-01-01Journal of Biochemistry. Vol.95, No.1 (1984), 179-1860021924X2-s2.0-0021339488https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/30570The effect of vitamin A deficiency on rat testis was studied biochemically and histo-logically. The earliest change in nuclear basic proteins was a decrease and disappearance of the testis-specific protein (TP); the disappearance approximately coincided with cessation of growth. At later stages of deficiency, the testis-specific histone TH2B was markedly reduced and in some cases disappeared, as did the TH1 histone band. Histological studies indicated that the loss of TH2B and TH1 requires a substantial degree of testicular degeneration, because they could still be detected to some extent in testes containing mainly Sertoli cells, reduced numbers of spermato-gonia and very few spermatocytes. The effect of retinol in maintaining the germ cells and the testis-specific basic proteins TP and TH2B was very specific, in that it could not be replaced by retinoic acid, which can maintain normal body growth. Prolonged supplementation of vitamin A-deficient animals with retinyl palmitate partially restored the levels of TP, TH2B, and TH1. © 1984 BY THE JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY.Mahidol UniversityBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular BiologyArticleSCOPUS10.1093/oxfordjournals.jbchem.a134582