Assessing vitamin D status of callitrichids: Baseline data from wild cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) in Colombia
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
1997 |
Authors: |
Michael L. Power, Olav T. Oftedal, Anne Savage, Evan S. Blumer, Luis H. Soto, Tai C. Chen, Michael F. Holick |
Publication/Journal: |
Zoo Biology |
Publisher: |
A Wiley Company, Inc., Wiley Subscription Services |
Keywords: |
bone, cholecalciferol, nutrition |
ISBN: |
1098-2361 |
Abstract:
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1997)16:1<39::AID-ZOO6>3.3.CO;2-5 Bone disease related to vitamin D deficiency is an insidious problem in captive colonies of callitrichids. Currently a diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency may be made after the appearance of clinical pathology, usually bone deformities or fractures. The development of assays for vitamin D metabolites suggests it may be possible to detect incipient vitamin D deficiency before animals are adversely affected. However, there are few data on normative levels of these metabolites in any nonhuman primates. We collected blood samples from 18 wild cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) from Colombia and assayed them for 25-hydroxy vitamin D(25-OH-D), the major circulating form of the vitamin, which is believed to be a good indicator of status. Serum concentrations of 25-OH-D averaged 76.4 ng/ml (range 25.5–120 ng/ml). This is high compared with human norms (10–55 ng/ml), but the range is lower than that reported in the literature for captive callitrichids. Juveniles had higher serum concentrations than did adults, and pregnant females had lower concentrations than did nonpregnant females. These data confirm that healthy callitrichids have higher circulating levels of 25-OH-D than do humans, but they suggest that the extremely high levels found in some captive animals (300–600 ng/ml) may be above normal. We propose that serum concentrations of 25-OH-D of 50–120 ng/ml can be considered normal for cotton-top tamarins and perhaps other callitrichids. If serum values much below 50 ng/ml are found during clinical evaluation, the possibility of incipient vitamin D deficiency should be considered. Zoo Biol 16:39–46, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.