Figure 1.

The effects of a high calcium/phosphate diet, of 1,25(OH)₂D_3, and of antioxidant supplementation on lifespan, body weight, and skin morphology in 1α(OH)ase^−/− mice. After weaning, sex‐matched wild‐type (WT) and 1α(OH)ase^−/− (KO) mice were fed a normal diet (ND) or a “rescue diet” diet (RD) or received thrice weekly subcutaneous injections of vehicle (ND) or 1,25(OH)₂D₃ (1 μg/kg) (VD), or were fed a rescue diet with 1 mg/ml NAC in drinking water (RD + NAC). (a) Serum calcium, (b) phosphorus, (c) 1,25(OH)₂D₃, (d) 25(OH)D, and (e) PTH. (f) Survival rate of the mice; (g) body weight. Representative micrographs of skin sections stained (h) with H&E or (j) histochemically for total collagen (T‐Col). Scale bars represent 200 μm in c and e. (i) Skin thickness and (k) total collagen‐positive area (%). Each value is the mean ± SEM of determinations in five mice of each group. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001 compared with WT mice. ^# p < 0.05; ^## p < 0.01 compared with ND KO mice. ^& p < 0.05; ^&& p < 0.01 compared with RD KO mice