Effects of Paricalcitol on Body Composition in Vitamin D-Deficient Rats
Farhad Koohpeyma1, Gholamhossein Ranjbar Omrani1, Ali Zamani1
1Shiraz Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Background:
Paricalcitol has been proposed for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with renal failure and vitamin D deficiency (VDD); however, VDD is related to a range of clinical complaints. We aimed to investigate the effects of paricalcitol on body composition in VDD rats.
Methods:
Thirty adult male rats aged 10 weeks were randomly divided into three groups of 10, comprising control, VDD, and VDD plus paricalcitol (32 ng/rat intraperitoneal injection) (VDD+P), at the Animal Lab of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Shiraz, Iran, in 2020. Body composition was assessed after three weeks via serum biochemical tests and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Finally, the data were analyzed by using the paired-sample t test, the one-way ANOVA, and the Tukey post hoc test.
Results:
Global lean mass and fat mass were lower in the VDD and VDD+P groups than in the controls (P<0.001). Global fat percentage was reduced significantly in the VDD+P group (P=0.029).
Conclusion:
Paricalcitol reduced global fat mass and fat percentage in a rat model with VDD. Evaluation of insulin and adiponectin levels is suggested to clarify the physiology of paricalcitol in VDD states.
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