AJP - Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol 246, Issue 3 227-E231, Copyright © 1984 by American Physiological Society
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 normalizes maternal food consumption and pup growth in rats
R. Brommage, K. Jarnagin and H. F. DeLuca
Maternal food consumption, maternal body weight loss, and pup growth were
studied in the following six groups of rats: vitamin D-deficient, vitamin
D3-replete, vitamin D3-replete but pair-fed with the vitamin D-deficient
rats and rats given either 50, 150, or 450 pmol/day of
1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 as their sole source of vitamin D by continuous
infusion from an Alzet osmotic minipump. As expected, vitamin D-deficient
rats were hypocalcemic and lost body weight, and their pups stopped growing
at 1 wk of age. Food consumption by the vitamin D-deficient rats was
one-third that of the vitamin D3-replete rats. Although normalization of
plasma calcium levels was not perfect, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 treatment
led to normal maternal food consumption, prevented maternal body weight
loss, and promoted normal pup growth. Pups from the vitamin D3-replete rats
pair-fed with the vitamin D-deficient rats did not grow properly and their
dams lost body weight. These data indicate that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is
fully capable of replacing vitamin D3 in promoting maternal food
consumption in lactating rats and that maintaining adequate food
consumption is a major factor in the stimulatory effect of vitamin D3 on
pup growth and hence milk production. The anorexia and reduced milk
production of vitamin D-deficient lactating rats did not result from
changes in plasma glucose or triglyceride levels.
