title: Vitamin D deficiency and reproduction in rats.
abstract: Female weanling rats from a colony maintained on a diet low in vitamin D were raised on a diet that was deficient in vitamin D but was otherwise adequate. Vitamin D deficiency was confirmed in the rats by hypocalcemia and the absence of vitamin D metabolites in blood. These females gave birth to litters that were slightly smaller than control litters from females maintained on a vitamin D-containing diet. The pups from the vitamin D-deficient mothers appeared normal throughout lactation, and at weaning had normal concentrations of calcium and phosphate in the plasma. These results indicate that vitamin D and its metabolites are not necessary for reproduction and fetal development in the rat.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight; D001846:Bone Development; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000097:blood; D010710:Phosphates / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D012098:Reproduction; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols; D010710:Phosphates; D002118:Calcium