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Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and lactation stimulates nephrogenesis in rat offspring

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Abstract

There is increasing evidence of vitamin D insufficiency in women of child-bearing age and their infants. This study examined the effect of maternal vitamin D deficiency on nephron endowment in rat offspring (n = 7 per group). Sprague–Dawley dams were fed either a vitamin D deplete diet or a vitamin replete (control) diet prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy and throughout lactation. At 4 weeks of age the offspring were weaned and maintained on their respective diets until they were killed at 7 weeks. In the fixed right kidney, kidney volume, renal corpuscle volume and nephron number were stereologically determined. There was no difference between groups in body weight, kidney weight or kidney volume. There was a significant 20% increase in nephron number in kidneys of vitamin D deplete offspring (vitamin D deficient, 29,000 ± 1,858, control, 23,330 ± 1,828; P = 0.04). This was accompanied by a significant decrease in renal corpuscle size in the vitamin D deplete group compared with the controls (6.125 ± 0.576 × 10−4 mm3 and 8.178 ± 0.247 × 10−4 mm3, respectively; P = 0.03). We concluded that maternal vitamin D deficiency in rats appears to stimulate nephrogenesis. Whether this confers a renal functional advantage or not is unknown.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by funding from the Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Foundation. The authors gratefully acknowledge Obioha Ukoumunne for advice in the statistical analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Monash University, Post Office Box 13C, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia

    Noori Maka, John Makrakis & M. Jane Black

  2. Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia

    Helena C. Parkington & Marianne Tare

  3. Department of Paediatrics and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia

    Ruth Morley

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  1. Noori Maka
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  2. John Makrakis
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Correspondence to M. Jane Black.

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Maka, N., Makrakis, J., Parkington, H.C. et al. Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and lactation stimulates nephrogenesis in rat offspring. Pediatr Nephrol 23, 55–61 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-007-0641-9

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