As a part of my study, I am supplementing Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D) to c57 mice. As per protocol, I have to give Vitamin D supplementation intraperitoneally. After supplementing Vitamin D, animals are dying continuously. Please suggest me the possible reasons for this.
But I have seen a lot of papers who are supplementing VitD for their study. But I dont know why in my case, it failed
Actually I have performed the same initially and at that time no mice died. This time I have followed the same protocol for dosing vitamin D and I have seen death of the animals this time. That's why i am not able to estimate the reason for the death of animals.
Different source or solution of vitamin? Did you do autopsy to establish cause of death?
In the first half of past century vit D has been used at very high dose as a rat poison (probably working by very high hypercalcemia).
So (as Kees Kan asked already) what is your dose, and what is the weight of your mice?
Jos Wielders Dose of vitamin D is 500IU/kg and Average weight of mice - 25gm
So about 12 iU per mouse per dose, is that correct?
That is not an excessive dose and must be well tolerated.
What is the composition of of the injected solution? Water / buffer / ionic strenght?
1% ethanol and water ? How much did you inject?
I think the matrix (water plus ethanol) is toxic, not the little amount of vitD.
The solution injected should at least be isotonic and suitable buffered (pH around 7,4?)
Are you sure the VitD is remaining in solution at 1% EtOH. In my experience it is not soluble in aqueous solvents and requires emulsification or similar. It may be in a particulate form which could be causing localised damage to tissue. Is the vehicle verified for this use, or have you been able to check the solubility of the vitD in this form?