title: Reproductive defects are corrected in vitamin d-deficient female rats fed a high calcium, phosphorus and lactose diet.
abstract: Vitamin D-deficient female rats are capable of reproduction; however, vitamin D deficiency reduces their overall reproductive capacity. It was previously suggested that the reduction in reproductive performance is a direct result of a lack of vitamin D rather than an effect of the hypocalcemia or hypophosphatemia that can be associated with vitamin D deficiency. In the present study, rats were fed one of three diets: 1) 0.47% Ca(+2) and 0.3% phosphorus (P(i)) with vitamin D; 2) 0.47% Ca(+2) and 0.3% P(i) without vitamin D; and 3) 20% lactose, 2% Ca(+2) and 1.25% P(i) without vitamin D. Their reproductive capacity was monitored. Vitamin D-deficient rats fed the high calcium, high phosphorus, 20% lactose diet had normal serum calcium (2.2 +/- 0.16 mmol/L), slightly lower phosphorus (1.5 +/- 0.3 mmol/L), and undetectable 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3). The decrease in reproductive capacity, as indicated by the fertility ratio and pup number per litter previously seen in vitamin D-deficient rats was completely corrected when serum calcium and phosphorus levels were normalized relative to vitamin D-replete rats. It appears likely that the diminished reproductive performance attributed to vitamin D deficiency is the result of hypocalcemia and/or hypophosphatemia caused by vitamin D deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Hector F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: DeLuca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007774:Lactation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007785:Lactose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008098:Litter Size; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D014807:Vitamin D; D007785:Lactose; D002112:Calcifediol