Seventeen pregnant cows were assigned randomly to treatment or control groups; the former group consisting of twelve cows received a single intravaginal dose of0.125μg of 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D
3 [1, 25 (OH)
2D
3]/kg of body weight at the 275th day of pregnancy, and the latter group consisting of five cows received only 6 m
l of 20% ethanol solvent on the same days. The changes in the plasma concentration of 1, 25 (OH)
2D
3 and minerals were evaluated. Compared to the baseline (0 hours) level in the treated group, significant differences were found in 1, 25 (OH)
2D
3 at two hours, in Ca at 12 hours and in i P at 12 hours after administration. In conclusion, it was suggested that intravaginal administration of 1, 25 (OH)
2D
3 offers a possible alternative treatment of prophylaxis of parturient hypocalcemia.
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