The effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on its serum level and energy metabolic profile in Grey Shirazi ewes

Iranian Journal of Veterinary Science and Technology

دوره 17، شماره 4 - شماره پیاپی 41، اسفند 2025، صفحه 26-38   

نوع مقاله: Research Article

شناسه دیجیتال (DOI): 10.22067/ijvst.2025.92115.1478

نویسندگان

Zahra Davoodabadi¹؛ Seyedeh Missagh Jalali^{* 1}؛ Meysam Makki²؛ Alidad Boostani¹؛ Mohamad Rahim Hajikolai¹

¹Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.

²Department of Animal Science, Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Fars, Iran.

چکیده

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of vitamin D supplementation on serum vitamin D levels and the metabolic profile of Grey Shirazi ewes, during pregnancy. A total of sixty healthy Grey Shirazi ewes were divided into three groups: Group 1 (control); Group 2, which received a single intramuscular dose of 10,000 IU vitamin D at the time of insemination; and Group 3, which received a single dose of 10,000 IU vitamin D at mid-pregnancy. Blood samples were collected at four stages: insemination, mid-pregnancy, late pregnancy, and post-lambing. Vitamin D levels in the control group decreased significantly during pregnancy. In contrast, no such decrease occurred in the two supplement groups, so that the highest vitamin D concentrations were observed in late pregnancy and postpartum in group 3. In terms of energy balance, serum β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels were lowest in the mid-pregnancy supplemented group.  Additionally, in group 3, insulin levels increased during the final stages of pregnancy, while serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations were higher in this group compared to the other groups, reaching their maximum levels after delivery. All groups increased triglycerides and cholesterol, but Group 3 had the highest triglycerides postpartum. Additionally, serum protein and albumin levels were significantly higher in Group 3 during the postpartum period, reflecting improved nutritional status and protein synthesis. The results of this study suggest that vitamin D supplementation during mid-pregnancy has the potential to improve metabolic health in Grey Shirazi ewes, having significant implications for both maternal and neonatal health outcomes. 

کلیدواژه‌ها

Vitamin D؛ Energy balance؛ metabolic biomarkers؛ Pregnancy؛ Grey Shirazi sheep

سایر فایل های مرتبط با مقاله

4-1478-persian abs-F.pdf

مراجع

1. Hurst EA, Homer NZ, Mellanby RJ. Vitamin D metabolism and profiling in veterinary species. Metabolites. 2020;10:371. Doi: 10.3390/metabo10090371
2. Bouillon R, Manousaki D, Rosen C, Trajanoska K, Rivadeneira F, Richards JB. The health effects of vitamin D supplementation: evidence from human studies. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2022;18:96-110. Doi: 10.1038/s41574-021-00593-z
3. Ramasamy I. Vitamin D metabolism and guidelines for vitamin D supplementation. Clin Biochem Rev. 2020;41:103. Doi: 10.33176/AACB-20-00006
4. Babazadeh D, Razavi SA, Abd El-Ghany WA, Cotter PF. Vitamin D deficiency in farm animals: A review. Farm Anim Health Nutr. 2022;1:10-16. Doi: 10.58803/fahn.v1i1.7
5. Laverell DM, Murphy TW, Engle TE, Smylie JM, Kersh AJ, Jacob SI, Stewart WC. A comparative study on growth, feed intake, and serum vitamin and mineral concentrations in Western white-faced rams with and without limb deformities. Transl Anim Sci. 2025;9:txaf069. Doi: 10.1093/tas/txaf069
6. Hassanabadi M, Mohri M, Seifi HA. Effects of vitamin D3 injection in close-up period on insulin resistance and energy balance in transition dairy cows. Vet Med Sci. 2022;8:741-751. Doi: 10.1002/vms3.727
7. Saed HA, Ibrahim HM, El-Khodery SA, Youssef MA. Relationship between expression pattern of vitamin D receptor, 1 alpha-hydroxylase enzyme, and chemokine RANTES genes and selected serum parameters during transition period in Holstein dairy cows. Vet Rec Open. 2020;7(1):e000339. Doi: 10.1136/vetreco-2020-000339
8. Spears JW, Weiss WP. Invited review: Mineral and vitamin nutrition in ruminants. Prof Anim Sci. 2014;30:180-191. Doi: 10.15232/S1080-7446(15)30103-0
9. Peixoto de Souza V, Jensen J, Whitler W, Estill CT, Bishop CV. Increasing vitamin D levels to improve fertilization rates in cattle. J Anim Sci. 2022;100:skac168. Doi: 10.1093/jas/skac168
10. Efe M, Sarıbay MK, Ürer EK, Köse AM. The effect of selenium, vitamin E, vitamin A, and vitamin D3 applications on fertility in Awassi sheep with estrus synchronization during the breeding season. Turk J Agric Food Sci Technol. 2023;11:1331-1336. Doi: 0000-0002-7636-7007
11. Lockwood A, Currie A, Hancock S, Broomfield S, Liu S, Scanlan V, Kearney GA, Thompson AN. Supplementation of Merino ewes with cholecalciferol in late pregnancy improves the vitamin D status of ewes and lambs at birth but is not correlated with an improvement in immune function in lambs. Anim Prod Sci. 2016;56:757-766. Doi: 10.1071/AN15085.
12. Ji X, Liu N, Wang Y, Ding K, Huang S, Zhang C. Pregnancy toxemia in ewes: A review of molecular metabolic mechanisms and management strategies. Metabolites. 2023;13:149. Doi: 10.3390/metabo13020149
13. Karimi A, Abarghuei MJ, Boostani A. Influence of crossbreeding of Ghezel ram with Grey Shirazi ewe on growth performance, feed efficiency and carcass traits of fattening lambs. Res Square. 2021. Doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-642724/v1.
14. Hajikolaei MRH, Nouri M, Amirabadi SH, Shariari A, Constable PD. Effect of antepartum vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and postpartum oral calcium administration on serum total calcium concentration in Holstein cows fed an acidogenic diet in late gestation. Res Vet Sci. 2021;136:239-246. Doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2021.02.017.
15. Kiely ME, Wagner CL, Roth DE. Vitamin D in pregnancy: Where we are and where we should go. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2020;201:105669. Doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2020.105669
16. Hodnik JJ, Ježek J, Starič J. A review of vitamin D and its importance to the health of dairy cattle. J Dairy Res. 2020;87:S84-S87. Doi: 10.1017/S0022029920000424.
17. Christakos S, Dhawan P, Verstuyf A, Verlinden L, Carmeliet G. Vitamin D: Metabolism, molecular mechanism of action, and pleiotropic effects. Physiol Rev. 2016;96:365–408. Doi: 10.1152/physrev.00014.2015.
18. Shin JS, Choi MY, Longtine MS, Nelson DM. Vitamin D effects on pregnancy and the placenta. Placenta. 2010;31:1027–1034. Doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2010.08.015.
19. Zehnder D, Evans KN, Kilby MD, Bulmer JN, Innes BA, Stewart PM, Hewison M. The ontogeny of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 1α-hydroxylase expression in human placenta and decidua. Am J Pathol. 2002;161:105–114. Doi: 10.1016/S0002-9440(10)64168-5.
20. Rodney RM, Martinez N, Block E, Hernandez LL, Celi P, Nelson CD, Santos JEP, Lean IJ. Effects of prepartum dietary cation-anion difference and source of vitamin D in dairy cows: Vitamin D, mineral, and bone metabolism. J Dairy Sci. 2018;101:2519-2543. Doi: 10.3168/jds.2017-13389.
21. Hession DV, Loughrey J, Kendall NR, Hanrahan K, Keady TW. Mineral and vitamin supplementation on sheep farms: A survey of practices and farmer knowledge. Transl Anim Sci. 2022;6:txac026. Doi: 10.1093/tas/txac026.
22. Poindexter MB, Zimpel R, Vieira-Neto A, Husnain A, Silva ACM, Faccenda A, de Avila AS, Celi P, Cortinhas C, Santos JEP, Nelson CD. Effect of prepartum source and amount of vitamin D supplementation on lactation performance of dairy cows. J Dairy Sci. 2023;106:974-989. Doi: 10.3168/jds.2022-22159.
23. Contreras GA, Sordillo LM. Lipid mobilization and inflammatory responses during the transition period of dairy cows. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 2011;34:281-289. Doi: 10.1016/j.cimid.2011.01.004.
24. Bell AW. Regulation of organic nutrient metabolism during transition from late pregnancy to early lactation. J Anim Sci. 1995;73:2804-2819. Doi: 10.2527/1995.7392804x.
25. Pittas AG, Lau J, Hu FB, Dawson-Hughes B. The role of vitamin D and calcium in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92:2017-2029. Doi: 10.1210/jc.2007-0298.
26. Goff JP. Calcium and magnesium disorders. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract. 2014;30:359-381. Doi: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2014.04.003.
27.  Van Cromphaut SJ, Dewerchin M, Hoenderop JG, Stockmans I, Van Herck E, Kato S, Bindels RJ, Collen D, Carmeliet P, Bouillon R, Carmeliet G. Duodenal calcium absorption in vitamin D receptor-knockout mice: functional and molecular aspects. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2001;98:13324-13329. Doi: 10.1073/pnas.231474698.
28. Wilkens MR, Muscher-Banse AS. Regulation of gastrointestinal and renal transport of calcium and phosphorus in ruminants. Anim. 2020;14:S29-S43.  Doi: 10.1017/S1751731119003231.
29. Portales-Castillo I, Simic P. PTH, FGF-23, Klotho and vitamin D as regulators of calcium and phosphorus: Genetics, epigenetics, and beyond. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022;13:992666. Doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.992666.
30.  Slominski AT, Kim TK, Qayyum S, Song Y, Janjetovic Z, Oak AS, Slominski RM, Raman C, Stefan J, Mier-Aguilar CA, Atigadda V. Vitamin D and lumisterol derivatives can act on liver X receptors (LXRs). Sci Rep. 2021;11:8002. Doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-87423-3.
31. Puppel K, Kuczyńska B. Metabolic profiles of cow's blood: A review. J Sci Food Agric. 2016;96:4321-4328. Doi: 10.1002/jsfa.7779.
32. Balıkcı E, Yıldız A, Gürdoğan F. Blood metabolite concentrations during pregnancy and postpartum in Akkaraman ewes. Small Rumin Res. 2007;67:247-251. Doi: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2005.10.007.
33. Bauman DE, Griinari JM. Nutritional regulation of milk fat synthesis. Annu Rev Nutr. 2003;23:203-227. Doi: 10.1146/annurev.nutr.23.011702.073408.
34. Piccione G, Caola G, Giannetto C, Grasso F, Runzo SC, Zumbo A, Pennisi P. Selected biochemical serum parameters in ewes during pregnancy, post-parturition, lactation, and dry period. Anim Sci Pap Rep. 2009;27:321-330. 
35. Wang X, Wang Y, Wang Q, Dai C, Li J, Huang P, Li Y, Ding X, Huang J, Hussain T, Yang H. The impact of early and mid-pregnant Hu ewes’ dietary protein and energy levels on growth performance and serum biochemical indices. J Appl Anim Res. 2023;51:174-181. Doi: 10.1080/09712119.2023.2183058.
36. Tóthová C, Mihajlovičová X, Nagy O. The use of serum proteins in the laboratory diagnosis of health disorders in ruminants. In: Ruminants-The Husbandry, Economic and Health Aspects. London: IntechOpen Ltd; 2018. pp. 105-146. Doi: 10.5772/intechopen.72912.
37. Iruzubieta P, Terán Á, Crespo J, Fábrega E. Vitamin D deficiency in chronic liver disease. World J Hepatol. 2014;6:901. Doi: 10.4254/wjh.v6.i12.901.
38. Stokes CS, Volmer DA, Grünhage F, Lammert F. Vitamin D in chronic liver disease. Liver Int. 2013;33:338-352. Doi: 10.1111/liv.12106.
39. Van Saun RJ. Vitamin D-responsive rickets in neonatal lambs. Can Vet J. 2004;45(10):841.