Vitamin D metabolism in the Damara mole-rat is altered by exposure to sunlight yet mineral metabolism is unaffected

Abstract

Vitamin D may be endogenously synthesized in the skin in the presence of sunlight or, alternatively, acquired from dietary sources. Cryptomys damarensis appear to have a naturally impoverished vitamin D status with low plasma concentrations of both 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D; < 5 ng/ml) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D; < 20 pg/ml). We attribute this to their underground habitat and herbivorous habits. We questioned whether these subterranean mammals could utilize sunlight-mediated pathways and therefore compared vitamin D metabolism and function when animals were (a) housed naturally (control), (b) given an oral vitamin D3 (D3) supplement (1 IU/g dry matter food eaten per day) and (c) exposed to 10 h of sunlight. Control animals exhibited a highly efficient apparent fractional absorption of both calcium (Ca) and inorganic phosphorus (Pi) (> 90%), passive mode of intestinal mineral uptake, yet tightly regulated serum ionized calcium (Ca2+). The ratio of 25(OH)D-1 alpha-hydroxylase (1-OHase) to 25(OH)D-24R-hydroxylase (24-OHase) activity in the kidney, corresponded with a state of vitamin D deficiency. Cryptomys damarensis responded to both oral D3 supplementation and sun exposure by an increase in plasma concentration of 1,25(OH)2D with a commensurate decline (P < 0.05) in 1-OHase activity, and a resulting decrease (P < 0.05) in the ratio of 1-OHase:24-OHase activity. Despite these changes, the intestinal mode of Ca uptake and plasma total Ca, Ca2+ and Pi remained unchanged with either treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)