title: Vitamin D heritability and effect of pregnancy status in Vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) under conditions of modest and high dietary supplementation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The two objectives of the current study were to: 1) investigate the genetic contributions to variations in serum vitamin D concentrations under two dietary conditions (a standard monkey biscuit diet vs. a diet designed to model typical American consumption); and 2) explore the interaction of vitamin D with pregnancy status using a cohort of pedigreed female vervet/African green monkeys.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study includes 185 female (≥3.5 years) vervet/African green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) from a multi-generational, pedigreed breeding colony. The 25(OH)D3 concentrations were first measured seven to eight weeks after consuming a "typical American" diet (TAD), deriving 37, 18, and 45% of calories from fat, protein sources, and carbohydrates, and supplemented with vitamin D to a human equivalent of 1,000 IU/day. Vitamin D concentrations were assessed again when animals were switched to a low-fat, standard biscuit diet (LabDiet 5038) for 8 months, which provided a human equivalent of approximately 4,000 IU/day of vitamin D. All statistical analyses were implemented in SOLAR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pregnancy was associated with reduced 25(OH)D3 concentrations. Heritability analyses indicated a significant genetic contribution to 25(OH)D3 concentrations in the same monkeys consuming the biscuit diet (h(2) =0.66, P=0.0004) and TAD (h(2) =0.67, P=0.0078) diets, with higher 25(OH)D3 concentrations in animals consuming the biscuit diet. Additionally, there was a significant genotype-by-pregnancy status interaction on 25(OH)D3 concentrations (P<0.05) only among animals consuming the TAD diet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support the existence of a genetic contribution to differences in serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations by pregnancy status and emphasize the role of diet (including vitamin D supplementation) in modifying genetic signals as well as vitamin D concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC.|UNC Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC.
authors.forename: Geetha
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chittoor
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.
authors.forename: Nicholas M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Pajewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC.|UNC Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC.
authors.forename: V Saroja
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Voruganti
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX.|Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX.
authors.forename: Anthony G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Comuzzie
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Section of Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Clarkson
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.|Department of Internal Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nudy
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.|Department of Internal Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reading Hospital, Reading, PA.|Department of Internal Medicine, Reading Hospital, Reading, PA.
authors.forename: Peter F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Schnatz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Section of Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.
authors.forename: Jay R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Section of Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jorgensen
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000187:drug effects*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: 25(OH)D3; Vervet/African green monkeys; genotype-by pregnancy; genotype-by-diet