TABLE 3.

Description of Rat Characteristics and serum parameters by Vitamin-D Dietary Groups

Rat Chow Diet	0 IU/g Vitamin D deficient D3, ‘DD’ Ca = 0.95%	2.25 IU/gVitamin D insufficient D3, ‘ID’ Ca = 0.95%	5 IU/g Vitamin-D sufficient D3, control diet ‘CD’ Ca = 0.95%	40 IU/g Vitamin D hyper-vitamin D3, ‘HD’, Ca = 0.94%
Weights (I_wt g, at intake)	271.00 ± 4.80	272.50 ± 4.17	270.00 ± 7.04	270.50 ± 7.69
Weights (Srg_wt g, at surgery)	421.64 ± 83.27	446.42 ± 34.54	424.15 ± 70.61	431.42 ± 70.99
Weights (Sac_wt g, at sacrifice)	589.71 ± 19.18	576.11 ± 44.30	578.56± 34.09	601.00 ±10.90
Serum Vitamin D (sVD, at surgery)*	9.25 ± 1.61	20.64 ± 3.27	28.30± 4.57	97.37± 13.59
Serum Vitamin D (sVD at sacrifice)*	6.25 ± 1.02	15.58 ± 5.04	19.59 ± 5.64	88.44 ± 9.90
Serum Calcium-Total (CaT,, at sacrifice)	11.69 ± 1.20	11.78 ± 0.49	11.48 ± 0.89	12.86 ± 0.76
Serum Calcium-Free (CaF, at sacrifice)	6.59 ± 0.85	6.83 ± 0.81	6.84 ± 1.07	7.11 ± 1.09
Serum Calcium-Bound (CaB, at sacrifice)	5.10 ± 1.74	4.95 ± 0.72	4.65 ± 1.29	5.75 ± 1.15

^*p<0.0001 overall

Intracorrelations among dietary and serum status variables:

Vitamin D adjusted diet and serum Total Ca: dVD3 vs. sCaT, r=0.52, p<0.0002;

Serum Vitamin D and serum Total Ca: sVD vs. sCaT, r=0.51, p<0.0002;

Marginal correlation between Serum Vitamin D and serum Bound Ca: sVD vs. sCaB, r=0.25, p=0.08;

Correlation between serum Total Ca and serum Bound Ca: sCaT vs. sCaB, r=0.68, p<0.0001;

Correlation between sCaF and sCaB (r= −0.64, p<0.0001)