[The effect of the administration of a high dose of vitamin D3 on calculus formation in rats].

Administration of high doses of vitamin D3 (2,600 IU/100 ml of drinking water) to adult rats, for one month, significantly altered renal function (P less than 0.01) and enhanced renal accumulation of oxalate (71.44 x 18.82 micrograms/g of tissue in treated rats vs 38.87 +/- 11.96 micrograms/g in untreated rats; P less than 0.001), phosphate (1.388 +/- 188 micrograms/g in treated rats vs 870 +/- 171 micrograms/g in untreated rats; P less than 0.01) and calcium (477 +/- 107 micrograms/g in treated rats vs 326 +/- 104 micrograms/g in untreated rats; P less than 0.01). Urinary analyses of principal promotors and inhibitors of lithogenesis revealed high calcium excretion (1,576 +/- 0.419 mg/24 hr in treated rats vs 0.969 +/- 0.214 mg/24 hr in untreated rats; p less than 0.01) and decreased magnesium excretion (0.330 +/- 0.135 mg/24 hr in treated rats vs 0.910 +/- 0.168 mg/24 hr in untreated rats; p less than 0.001). Microscopic calcium deposits were found in the medulla, especially in renal papilla. These results suggested that vitamin D3, when administered at high doses for a long time, may induce nephrocalcinosis and alter renal function.