Adipokines may be potential mediators of the association between excess adiposity and vascular dysfunction. We assessed the cross-sectional associations of circulating adipokines with vascular stiffness in a community-based cohort of younger adults. We related circulating concentrations of leptin and leptin receptor, adiponectin, retinol-binding protein 4, and fatty acid-binding protein 4 to va...

Cellular retinol-binding protein (type II) (CRBP(II)), a newly described retinol-binding protein, is present in the small intestinal absorptive cell at high levels. Retinol (vitamin A alcohol) presented as a complex with CRBP(II) was found here to be esterified by microsomal preparations from rat small intestinal mucosa. The esterification observed utilized an endogenous acyl donor(s) and produ...

BACKGROUND Vitamin A (retinol), which is required for normal fetal development and successful gestation, circulates in the blood bound to a specific protein, the retinol binding protein (RBP). Little is known about the transport and metabolism of this complex protein or about retinol status during normal human pregnancy. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess retinol status and transpo...