Acne.org Products
Isotretinoin is a retinoid , meaning it is related to vitamin A and thus causes similar side effects to a natural Vit A overdose and the chronic toxic
side effects associated with it , avoiding vitamin A is definitely in our best interest , the two don't mix too well as many can attest to here on this
forum including me. Interesting read.
What do you all think about this? It's the first I've read about RAR antagonists being a possible "cure" for Accutane damage:
"Max001.proboards Go there and you will learn how accutane has affected you, it takes some time to break down the technical parts but there are conclusions drawn at the end of each subsection. If accutane is still exerting negative effects on you, it's more than likely through your now altered metabolism of vitamin A. What we are trying to do is reverse this hormonal antagonism, by using a Retinoic Acid Receptor antagonist, so the body will work with retinoids again, rather than against them." The original thread was on [Edited link out]
On 5/1/2012 at 1:11 PM, levianthan said:accux i tried levothyroxine(t4) for about 5 months and noticed great improvement on my symptoms.During that period yes i lost weight.The strange thing is that after stopping t4 the symptoms continued to be gone(not completely) at the same degree as when i was taking t4.So thats why i also think that retinoic acid could still be there.You can join also our discussion here:
[Edited link out]
we discuss many different theories.
If retinoic acid still remains in our brain,fat cells it would be beneficial to try some retinoid receptor antagonist.That could prove instantly if this theory is correct
Any News on this treatment option? "...it would be beneficial to try some retinoid receptor antagonist."
On 6/10/2013 at 8:32 AM, CHIRON said:What do you all think about this? It's the first I've read about RAR antagonists being a possible "cure" for Accutane damage:
"Max001.proboards Go there and you will learn how accutane has affected you, it takes some time to break down the technical parts but there are conclusions drawn at the end of each subsection. If accutane is still exerting negative effects on you, it's more than likely through your now altered metabolism of vitamin A. What we are trying to do is reverse this hormonal antagonism, by using a Retinoic Acid Receptor antagonist, so the body will work with retinoids again, rather than against them." The original thread was on [Edited link out]
On 5/1/2012 at 1:11 PM, levianthan said:accux i tried levothyroxine(t4) for about 5 months and noticed great improvement on my symptoms.During that period yes i lost weight.The strange thing is that after stopping t4 the symptoms continued to be gone(not completely) at the same degree as when i was taking t4.So thats why i also think that retinoic acid could still be there.You can join also our discussion here:
[Edited link out]
we discuss many different theories.
If retinoic acid still remains in our brain,fat cells it would be beneficial to try some retinoid receptor antagonist.That could prove instantly if this theory is correct
Any News on this treatment option? "...it would be beneficial to try some retinoid receptor antagonist."
Thanks for reposting Max's board! I have posted numerous times on acne.org, I will say again if anyone on here hasn't looked at his board it is a must! When the propecia site reached out to us I sent them some of Max's info and board!
Chiron- I am not sure on any updates or if anyone actually tried his theory, He was a long time member of the OLD Ragfourm and posted a lot on there, then made his own board, and there might of been something there, but unfortunately not all that forum was archived! As for Max he just kind of disappeared and people weren't sure if he committed suicide or not, and then back in 2009 there was post that we assumed was from him as it sounded like, about Vegan so hard to say.
Maybe someone else can chime in on if this would be beneficial for me I would have to say no as I know my issues and nothing is bringing back my pancreas or thyroid. I guess the question would getting a physician to take it seriously????
I guess another question I have is why hasn't Dr.Crisler taken a more pro active approach in the Accutane arena and issues there on that board???? I think he has treated a some suffers correct???
On another note I have posted a link for those who might be interested and who never got to watch the congressional trials in the U.S. back in 2002!
[Edited link out]
On 6/10/2013 at 8:32 AM, CHIRON said:What do you all think about this? It's the first I've read about RAR antagonists being a possible "cure" for Accutane damage:
Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo, why don't take a look below. You should note, they said: "....we investigated a pharmacological approach to inhibit spermatogenesis." It sounds like a smashing idea.
[Edited link out]
Why use an exotic, when you can use a natural miniscule dose of vitamin A or retinoic acid instead to test this theory of altered vitamin A metabolism. Start with very small doses and ratchet-up very slowly. You should only try this, years later, when the extreme drying effects have subsided (may not happen to all). I have tried this in an attempt to reset RARs as it were, and no good. You get no response at all; its like that network of pathways is shut down. This is also why some unconscionable charlatans continue to use antiandrogens post Accutane decimation, and, pretend that it is no big deal. In a sense, it may not be, because the classic responses accompanying this route will not be apparent. This should not be attempted long-term as more degradation is to be expected.
The RARs has been locked on high-fidelity for so long that probably independently of any vexing by retinoic acid you still feel as though something is hitting the RARs, but there may not be. As time proceeds, you will note, that seemingly forevermore overactive RARs, and accompanying routes are under-responsive.
On 6/10/2013 at 8:32 AM, CHIRON said:What do you all think about this? It's the first I've read about RAR antagonists being a possible "cure" for Accutane damage:
"Max001.proboards Go there and you will learn how accutane has affected you, it takes some time to break down the technical parts but there are conclusions drawn at the end of each subsection. If accutane is still exerting negative effects on you, it's more than likely through your now altered metabolism of vitamin A. What we are trying to do is reverse this hormonal antagonism, by using a Retinoic Acid Receptor antagonist, so the body will work with retinoids again, rather than against them." The original thread was on [Edited link out]
On 5/1/2012 at 1:11 PM, levianthan said:accux i tried levothyroxine(t4) for about 5 months and noticed great improvement on my symptoms.During that period yes i lost weight.The strange thing is that after stopping t4 the symptoms continued to be gone(not completely) at the same degree as when i was taking t4.So thats why i also think that retinoic acid could still be there.You can join also our discussion here:
[Edited link out]
we discuss many different theories.
If retinoic acid still remains in our brain,fat cells it would be beneficial to try some retinoid receptor antagonist.That could prove instantly if this theory is correct
Any News on this treatment option? "...it would be beneficial to try some retinoid receptor antagonist."
Hi Chiron,
this does look interesting. I went to this forum but it is difficult to understand. Is RAR a medicine, that you can get with a subscription? Or how exactly does it work?
Everything is getting better. My hair loss is getting close to pre-Accutane levels. My skin is pretty oily again and more even than ever before.
My body didn't like it when I quit primrose oil at first. Hormonal acne came back with a vengeance, made worse by the fact that I started drinking detox tea and, well, it needed to get all the toxins out. Two weeks of awfulness. Now it's a lot better, better than it was before Accutane. (I have at least two tea bags a day, and I do eat the herbs for maximum potency. I use Triple Leaf.) I have a little bit of bumps because I ate like crap last weekend (my friends were in town and I went for sugar, carbs, and dare I say it-- alcohol!) but I'm fine. And now I know that even one glass of wine makes my stomach hate me. Peachy.
I've been on hyaluronic acid/glucosamine for about a month now. My joints don't ache and my fine lines are disappearing! I take it twice a day, each with 32 oz water. This is important!! It needs a ton of water to work!
My doctor put me on Metformin. I have to keep eating or else I get tired, but now I don't have as much of a problem with carbs. I've been on it about 4 days and today, a lot less shedding than normal! Yay!
I pour a mixture of half apple cider vinegar/half water on dry hair, rinse it, then a final rinse in black tea. I only shampoo my bangs. No more scalp dandruff and excessive shedding. My hair likes a lower pH.
Topically, I use my own "dupe" SK-ii. 1/3 sake, 1/3 aloe vera gel, 1/3 honey. And my skin is so even toned and moisturized!
Still low oxalate. Still avoiding wheat and sugars. Most of what I eat is meat. Still having digestive issues-- trying to eat less.
On 6/10/2013 at 11:50 AM, camaroz28 said:On 6/10/2013 at 8:32 AM, CHIRON said:What do you all think about this? It's the first I've read about RAR antagonists being a possible "cure" for Accutane damage:
Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo, why don't take a look below. You should note, they said: "....we investigated a pharmacological approach to inhibit spermatogenesis." It sounds like a smashing idea.
[Edited link out]
Why use an exotic, when you can use a natural miniscule dose of vitamin A or retinoic acid instead to test this theory of altered vitamin A metabolism. Start with very small doses and ratchet-up very slowly. You should only try this, years later, when the extreme drying effects have subsided (may not happen to all). I have tried this in an attempt to reset RARs as it were, and no good. You get no response at all; its like that network of pathways is shut down. This is also why some unconscionable charlatans continue to use antiandrogens post Accutane decimation, and, pretend that it is no big deal. In a sense, it may not be, because the classic responses accompanying this route will not be apparent. This should not be attempted long-term as more degradation is to be expected.
The RARs has been locked on high-fidelity for so long that probably independently of any vexing by retinoic acid you still feel as though something is hitting the RARs, but there may not be. As time proceeds, you will note, that seemingly forevermore overactive RARs, and accompanying routes are under-responsive.
Yes, I am wary of any synthetic RAR manipulation (especially one which supposedly "reversibly" induces male sterility) even though they claim that many other RAR system parts are not affected. As you highlighted in bold, I believe that to add the inverse of an RAR agonist like Accutane, might simply be like running over the family dog again in reverse rather than bringing him back to life. However, I am intrigued and want more information if possible. I take Beta Carotene occasionally and it feels like it helps with many symptoms, both physio- and psychophysiological. Many of our symptoms seem to mimic Vitamin A deficiency. Here is an article that talks about Accutane's effects on RAR: From the part called "Vitamin A: Friend Or Foe": [Edited link out]
"Accutane is not vitamin A. The body handles it differently from natural vitamin A (see Figure 4) and there are a number of lines of evidence showing that it acts as an anti-vitamin A compound that can aggravate vitamin A deficiency. In newborn mice treated with dexamethasone, a drug that induces emphysema-like changes to lung tissue, natural vitamin A helps treat the disorder while the active ingredient of Accutane has no effect and may even make it worse.30 Accutane caused night blindness, a traditional sign of vitamin A deficiency, in a child with cystic fibrosis, whereas vitamin A supplementation resolved the night blindness.31 In rats, the active ingredient of this drug accumulates in the eyes and interferes with vitamin A recycling; rats taking it at high doses took fifty times longer to recover from exposure to intense light than rats that did not take the drug at all.32
A physician published a letter earlier this year reporting that two patients developed depression on Accutane; when the physician took them off the drug and supplemented them with 10-12,000 IU of vitamin A for seven to ten days, the depression resolved and they were able to go back on the drug without it recurring.33 The totality of the evidence strongly suggests that vitamin A deficiency contributes to depression and that Accutane is associated with this mental illness because it interferes with vitamin A metabolism."
On 6/10/2013 at 4:27 PM, Roland1968 said:Hi Chiron,
this does look interesting. I went to this forum but it is difficult to understand. Is RAR a medicine, that you can get with a subscription? Or how exactly does it work?
RAR is an acronym (stands) for Retinoic Acid Receptor. The theory is that an RAR Antagonist might reverse the effects of a RAR Agonist such as Accutane. There are drugs like that, but I'm not sure how one would get a presciption for it or really if you would even want to try something like that because it may just do damage to the already damaged pathways for RA or vitamin A & D...
Well I know for myself I have a problem with Vit A and 2 months after Accutane I had borderline high Vit A levels and had hardly ingested any food etc.. with Vit A. If eat Carrots, milk, broccoli etc... any product with a even the slightest retinol or vit a listed and it's Accutane all over again. I get flushing, hair loss, my eyes, joints etc... I tried zinc shortly after Accutane and my body went crazy!
I said before Mod was deficient in Vit A, yet he had to have iv infusion as any ingested by vitamin or food etc... made his symptoms ten times worse, took him 10yrs, but got dx with autoimmune intestinal disorder, his diet was liquid for years prior. Many other suffers took cod liver oil after Accutane back in the 80's or early 90's before knowing and internet and have severe issues.
I mean it could be plausible for some suffers as we all have different DNA.
My biggest triggers for me were Carlsons fish oil ( vit A ) free ie retinol had my back seize up for three days after ingesting some of this fish oil
for a while , nettle tea( high in vit A ) I had a numb arm for a month after drinking that for a while , and beer yes even beer is toxic , any form of
alcohol is not good for us even mild 5%beer . Alcohol causes hangovers that are not typical for a normal non accutainted person along with
dehydration really not good since we are dealing with chronic cellular dehydration already , avoiding these things has made a big difference in
my overall well being also avoid rubbing your skin with anything , our skin cell receptors are %^&* up as I have said before I was rubbing witch
hazel on my chest for mild acne and after doing this for a while once a day for a month or so my side effects kicked in again , I started getting
heart papulations which I never get and I was dizzy for a few weeks and my hair was falling out in ridiculous amounts , this drug
really is a piece of work . So supplementing with vit A is not a good idea our bodies cannot deal with the vitamin it is toxic to us sadly . Perhaps
as oli girls says some people can handle vit A better than others that would depend on each persons DNA , for me it's a no no. All these rules to
follow and the derm told me , the drug will leave your system in a few months B.S more like it changes your system permanently and that's a
fact .
Also I bought a infared sauna a few years ago to detox myself that back fired and re activated the drug for a while , not good .
These are all things I had to learn over the years the hard way I might add. At this point I am reluctant to try any new supplement as most things
I have tried have been detrimental to my health , as a human being I feel violated by this drug and all the side effects I have had to deal with and
to top it off I still have acne it's mild but WTF what was the whole point of this poisoning exercise , I have come to realize the more research I do
is that orthodox medicine is exteremely barbaric and primitive in the ways of dealing with health problems
especially mild ones like acne , CUT , POISON , BURN is a good description of what really happens when one visits a doc these days it
seems everything they have and hand out is toxic , antibiotics er ant-ilife biotics is a good example of this they cause long term damage to the
body if you read my recent post you will have discovered this , I once read that the orthodox system has over 2000 different pills they administer
and out of those only 2 % are acutally usefull that means 98% are either toxic or cause other severe side effects and create new problems for
the patient , welcome to modern medicine , and with that 2 % I bet there is a natural alternative for those as well the problem is Big Pharma
can't patent natural herbs and supplements that acutally work and are safe to use so there is no money in that , they can only patent synthetic
junk , there is no doubt in my mind that orthodox medicine is on it's way out people are waking up to the reality of these synthetic medicines and
the damage they cause . On a positive note I'm taking lithium orotate again and it's helping with my mood it seems to be the only thing that has
worked for me so far.
Pete (=
I'd like to re-iterate what oil girl and gladiatoro have said, from my personal experience, Vitamin A specifically retinol in foods causes a bad reaction, the worst of which is liver and cod liver oil. Eating carrots messes me up as well. There is definitely a toxic shock that happens when you eat retinol, it seems to push the accutane back out into the bloodstream. Hair loss will increase, sore eyes, lips will crack up and skin will become scaly. I've tried juice fasting and it can't be sustained, nor does it bring about relief.
Other than that staying away from retinol entirely will push the accutane into the fat cells, as the body stores it there (cant store in the liver as has been proven). So it stays in your fat, queue a low level toxicity effect thats constant, but nowhere near as bad as what happens when you eat retinol.
I could see how eating a lot of fat could benefit it's removal, seeing as it's fat soluble, possibly a low carb, high protein high fat diet, could help somewhat. Lots of oils and monounsaturated fats, but it seems to all come from the liver not being able to remove the drug in the first place.
So just an random update. I started taking iodine...and BAM no joint pain. I've been on it since friday. I will keep you guys updated. I hope this lasts. I've read several other individual's who have tried iodine with great success, but i don't want to jump the gun just yet...ya know, like i usually do because i get so damn excited!
Well I know for myself I have a problem with Vit A and 2 months after Accutane I had borderline high Vit A levels and had hardly ingested any food etc.. with Vit A. If eat Carrots, milk, broccoli etc... any product with a even the slightest retinol or vit a listed and it's Accutane all over again. I get flushing, hair loss, my eyes, joints etc... I tried zinc shortly after Accutane and my body went crazy!
I said before Mod was deficient in Vit A, yet he had to have iv infusion as any ingested by vitamin or food etc... made his symptoms ten times worse, took him 10yrs, but got dx with autoimmune intestinal disorder, his diet was liquid for years prior. Many other suffers took cod liver oil after Accutane back in the 80's or early 90's before knowing and internet and have severe issues.
I mean it could be plausible for some suffers as we all have different DNA.
Oligirl, what Chiron and I are saying is that initially we all seem to be very sensitive to retinol (I couldnt eat carrots and all the rest of it). I, in particular, was not advocating that we should take what makes us worse, but, in the spirit of debate and casting the fishing net farther out, I explained some experimenting that others and I have done. Once you move beyond the sensitivity phase, which took years for me, and at which point youd expect to feel better you dont necessarily. There is definitely some irony there, is what we are saying.
In the end, if this is the end, you feel extremely under-responsive to all forms of the Kryptonite (even high doses of retinoic acid). This is why I queried Chiron, as to why he would take an antagonist now, when his RARs seem to be blunted by his own admission. I lost muscle tone (195lbs) after the sensitivity phase which we are discussing. I also shrunk almost 2 inches; so there is a lot more going on than just pronounced responses to retinol, etc. I thought I was in the clear. I directed this at you because you were the first to comment after said exchange, and I know you can appreciate the subtleties and nuances of intended meaning.
Here is some more natural pain relievers that are a good alternative to Big Pharma's toxic meds.
http://www.naturalnews.com/040739_painkillers_alternatives_pain_relief.html
Would losing weight and getting down to a really low body fat % remove the Accutane that is stored in our fat cells?
Yeah bud, you just have to find a doctor that practices liposuction. There are plenty out there, so take your pick. The only thing you have to do, is tell him/her where you think the drug remnants are.
Here is some more natural pain relievers that are a good alternative to Big Pharma's toxic meds.
http://www.naturalnews.com/040739_painkillers_alternatives_pain_relief.html
You, good sir, are certifiable. I turn around for a moment, and I come to find out the resident guru is dishing out his unsolicited recommendations. You made 5 proposals and no less than 4 are antiandrogens. It has been known since 1975 that marijuana has endocrine disrupting potential, for example.
In my experience no, i got down to 8 and a half stone at 6 foot 1 on low carb and it didn't cure my skin condition, joints etc. I juice fasted 3 times, the longest was 14 days, on two occasions my skin condition went away at around the 4th-5th day of the fast. I was eating virtually zero carbs and juicing dark leafy greens all day. What happened was my body had no carbohydrates whatsoever, so within a few days it started to burn my body fat. It burns the most fat in the first few days then goes into hibernation mode, probably protecting the bodies resources for the longhaul, metabolism slows down to a snails pace. But within those 1-2 days were it burns body fat like crazy, my skin condition completely dissappeared for the first time in my life since i was 17. It came back and was no different than before in the aftermath of the fast, but it proved to me, in my case it was stored in my fat.
The other example was when i tried a course of psoralen with UVA light therapy, the doctor thought my skin condition was psoriasis at the time, so i did a series of treatments with this drug in conjunction with a tanning bed, the drug makes your skin unbelievably sensitive to light, so the rays penetrate more deeply, you get an unbelievable tan but it's hugely dangerous for your skin in the long run. During the course of those treatments my skin condition improved no end. It's amazing when i think about it, that i'm even alive up to this point, i've done so much mad shit trying to cure myself of this i'm surprised i'm not dead.
The PUVA therapy stopped my skin cells growing as quick, because the accutane in my skin cell receptors messes up the whole skin cell differentiation process, so my skin sheds much faster than other peoples, causing this kind of white plaque over my skin. I'd say my skin sheds at least 5 to 10 times faster than it should be. The PUVA therapy slowed it down to a normal rate, again short term success, but until the accutane is removed from the receptors and transported out the body it'll always be the same thing over and over.
This is with the benefit of hindsight, my stupid wreckless experience so you don't have too, type of spiel.
Yes, the iodine in shrimp/scallops was important to my recovery. Taking straight iodine was too harsh.
I don't believe in the lingering accutane theory. I don't think it squares with biology. I think chico is in a desperate state and clutching at theoretical straws without solid experimental underpinnings.
I do think, based on fairly solid evidence, that random systems in the body can experience permanent or semi-permanent damage, and that oversupplying targeted nutrients and avoiding inflammatory nutrients can meliorate this.
In my case, my liver's detoxifying and bile production system was quite affected at the hepatocyte level, which then affected all other systems. Solution involved anti-cholestatic levels of UDCA therapy and high water intake and eliminating all inflammatory foods.
Secondarily, an amplification of IBS sensitivity, probably through thinning of the gut mucosal lining, necessitated massive cutbacks to a 3 ingredient diet.
I think most things like hair thinning, skin issues, joint issues, etc are related to interstitial and epithelial tissue thinning from Accutane's primary intended effect. Stuff that targets the affected system will probably work best. E.g. for Chico, moisturizers.
As for the systemic fatigue and psychological impacts, I think those are best addressed at an anti-inflammatory diet level.
As for the sexual sides, no idea, sorry.
The problem with the above is, why does iodine stop joint problems? This suggests that actually a nutrient flood of e.g. the stuff in seafood will cure a host of seemingly unrelated ills, and points to maybe some kind of alteration in nutrient processing or detoxification, with the liver a suspect.
Anywho it's late, back to work.
Actually when sh**t hit the fan 2 - 4 months after I was Accutainted I lost all muscle and fat and that's when most of my severe symptoms appeared! I actually feel better when I have a little fat or muscle, which is hard to obtain.
I am not saying that this happened, but I sometimes feel like this drug poisoned me to the max on it way out! In other words like Roche says it can continue to work for up to 2-4 months after the course is over, Or basically it just kept circulating in my body until I put some weight on. Though I due believe it does something with receptors, very possible on the epigenetics! I felt like crap again when the type 1 diabetes hit the fan and I did try paleo which left feeling fatigued, anorexic and muscle loss again 
My face looked the best it every did (even though I was given Accutane for 2 skin toned cysts, I am speaking more of tone etc.) , until about 4 months after now it's worse then was to begin with.
I don't know what the Accutane does, really all I know is for me I have been through hell and back and though I survived dying, able to walk again and some really scary side effects finally went away after about a yr. - 18 months.....Accutane just is the gift that keeps giving for me every so many yrs. 
Not to mention some of us develop autoimmune disorders after or while on Accutane, those have their own set of issues and sooo on.....
Cam- I find it interesting that you state after your sensitivity phase you lost muscle and 2 inches of height! As I lost height while on Accutane ( was noticed a 1 month after and I did have my height taken before Accutane and was 5'6 1/2) Like I said my muscle loss came about 2-4 months after. People don't think a 1-1/2 is much, I did get 1/2 inch back, but it does make a difference.
I do agree that diet and exercise ( I know have to resort to light weights, swimming and yoga or the bike) helped my digestion, didn't help my tendons, or anything else and I once again got muscle loss and low energy. I have always been around 120pds.
Well iodine does help the body remove toxins and chemicals that build up....perhaps our bodies just cannot filter out these chemicals anymore naturally so they build up in our systems, making us sick, compromising our immune systems, etc. When i take the iodine my skin retains moisture, so do my eyes, and my joints feel much better. My thryoid tests fine, little towards the low end, but within range...many people test this way and have symptoms so that's why i gave it a shot. Will keep you huys updated...p.s. after i eat sushi, or any seafood, i feel completely normal for about a day, then the next day it goes away. I'm hypothesizing that it's the iodine. any hey, if it can get all the lovely mercury out too that would be great!
When i take the iodine my skin retains moisture
It's because, simply put, iodine helps water get into cells.
Good news it also increases hormone + neurotransmitter receptor sensitivity, helps arthritis, and improves your immune system (which in the saddest of all irony should prevent acne).
Standard thyroid tests are pretty useless since they check TSH, which is really a measure of the pituitary gland, not the thyroid itself.
I described the effect high iodine intake had and now any external & internal dryness is pretty much completely normal now, including greatly improved skin, hair and nails. Urinary frequency is greatly reduced, bowel movements are pretty much normal, appetite increased, digestive issues improving, light sensitivity improved, body temperature increased. Only had some very minor halide detox symptoms.
I'm mostly focusing on the gut now since mucin production is back on the menu. Inflammation from vit A intake may be reduced. Are some people really having problems with carrots? There's no real vit A in plants, it's beta carotene which is converted pretty poorly.
"Detoxing" Accutane like it's a drug isn't a thing. It's basically retinoic acid after all. I mean if you stopped taking it recently you could expedite it's removal but I wouldn't dump fat stores to do it.
Been trying to find out more on the relationship between retinoids and iodine, here's some tid bits that may or may not mean anything:
All hypothyroid subjects exhibited reduced retinol binding protein levels and 1/3 of them showed a marked decrease...
...The data indicated that hypothyroid subjects had reduced retinol binding protein and retinol circulating complex network compared to euthyroid subjects.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8655919
Retinol was an inhibitor of TSH-stimulated iodine metabolism. Iodide uptake and release of organified iodine stimulated by TSH or forskolin were inhibited dose dependently by treatment with retinol...
...The potency of retinoic acid was comparable to that of retinol...
However, iodide uptake stimulated by 8-bromo-cAMP was also inhibited by retinoids. Retinol reduced TSH- or 8-bromo-cAMP-stimulated gene expression of thyroid peroxidase. Thus, the data suggest that retinoids inhibit TSH-stimulated iodine metabolism by reducing cAMP accumulation and also by acting on the steps subsequent to cAMP production.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1659516
High-dose VAS [vitamin A supplementation] restored SR [serum retinol] concentrations to normal in both iodine-deficient and iodine-sufficient rats. Despite continuing VAD [vitamin A deficiency], provision of the iodine-sufficient diet entirely reversed the abnormalities of the pituitary-thyroid axis produced by VAD and ID [iodine deficiency]. In iodine-sufficient rats, VAS had no discernible effects on the pituitary-thyroid axis; in iodine-deficient rats, VAS reduced pituitary production of TSH and thyroid stimulation but had no discernible effects on circulating thyroid hormone concentrations. Primary hypothyroidism in rats with concurrent VAD and ID does not reduce the efficacy of VAS, nor does VAD reduce the efficacy of dietary iodine to correct pituitary-thyroid axis dysfunction due to ID. In concurrent VAD and ID, VAS, independent of iodine repletion, reduces thyroid hyperstimulation and size, an effect likely mediated through the effects of VA on pituitary TSHs gene expression.
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/137/3/573.full
The findings suggest that high-dose VAS in a population can modify indicators of ID, such as thyroglobulin and goiter, independent of a change in iodine nutrition.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/4/1040.full
[Thyroid Receptors] modulate both the proliferative response to retinoids and their inhibitory effects on skin differentiation. Reduced proliferation, which was reversed upon thyroxine treatment, was also found in hypothyroid mice, demonstrating that thyroid hormone binding to TRs is required for the normal response to retinoids. In addition, the mRNA levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFa and IL-6 and the chemotactic proteins S1008A and S1008B were significantly elevated in the skin of TR knock-out mice after TPA or 9-cis-RA treatment and immune cell infiltration was also enhanced.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3157470/
Rats deficient in retinol, but not retinoic acid, have normal growth and life spans, but pregnancy is terminated with fetal resorption despite normal estrous cycles and mating. This is not corrected with estrogen or progesterone levels. The long-term treatment of female rats with high but nontoxic doses of vitamin A induces polycystic anovulatory ovaries.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=FVfzRvaucq8C&lpg=PA1275&ots=x_fRvZY3_V&dq=thyroid cofactors vitamin a&pg=PA1275#v=onepage&q=thyroid cofactors vitamin a&f=false