Vitamin D3 metabolism in a pig strain with pseudo vitamin D-deficiency rickets, type I

Vitamin D metabolism was studied in the 'Hannover Pig', a strain which suffers from pseudo vitamin D-deficiency rickets, type I. Animals of this strain are known to be devoid of renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1 alpha-hydroxylase and -24-hydroxylase activities. Pigs with florid rickets and hypocalcaemia were treated with single im injections of 0.25 to 1.25 mg of vitamin D3, doses that have been shown in previous studies to be effective in producing transient healing of rachitic symptoms. The levels of vitamin D3 and its most relevant physiological metabolites in plasma were estimated at intervals before and after this vitamin D3 treatment. Vitamin D3 rose from 14.8 +/- 8.1 to 364 +/- 190 nmol/l (mean +/- SD) 2 to 3 days post injectionem, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 from 131.0 +/- 46.2 to 1068 +/- 160 nmol/l within 7 days post injectionem. The 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 concentration in plasma was elevated from 73.9 +/- 25.0 to 281 +/- 168 pmol/l 2 to 3 days post injectionem and declined continually from that time. 24R,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and 25S,26-dihydroxyvitamin D3 levels after treatment showed different responses in different animals being either elevated or unchanged. Clinical healing of the pigs with these doses of vitamin D3 was attributed to the transient rise of 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in plasma. It was assumed that 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 synthesis takes place under these circumstances in extrarenal tissues.