No abstract

The concentrations of total calcium, 2 5-hydroxy vitamin D [25-(OH)D] and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [l,25-(OH)(2)D(3)] were measured in serum obtained from prosimians, the brown lemurs. The mean serum calcium level was 10.6 mg/dl in male and female lemurs. The mean serum mean 25-(OH)D concentration in serum from male and female lemurs was 27.1 and 31.0 ng/ml, respectively. The mean serum level of 1,25- (OH)(2)D(3) in the female and male lemurs was 65.2 and 65.9 pg/ml, respectively. A small segment of the lemurs had hypercalcemia and elevated serum concentrations of 25-(OH)D or 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3), suggesting the idea that the episodic ingestion of a large quantity of the calcium- and vitamin D-enriched diet normally provided ad libitum might cause hypercalcemia.