Evaluating the clinical and physiological effects of long term ultraviolet B radiation on guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

PLoS One. 2014 Dec 17;9(12):e114413. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114413. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Vitamin D is an important hormone in vertebrates. Most animals acquire this hormone through their diet, secondary to exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, or a combination thereof. The objectives for this research were to evaluate the clinical and physiologic effects of artificial UVB light supplementation on guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) and to evaluate the long-term safety of artificial UVB light supplementation over the course of six months. Twelve juvenile acromelanic Hartley guinea pigs were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: Group A was exposed to 12 hours of artificial UVB radiation daily and Group B received only ambient fluorescent light for 12 hours daily. Animals in both groups were offered the same diet and housed under the same conditions. Blood samples were collected every three weeks to measure blood chemistry values, parathyroid hormone, ionized calcium, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OHD3) levels. Serial ophthalmologic examinations, computed tomography scans, and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scans were performed during the course of the study. At the end of the study the animals were euthanized and necropsied. Mean ± SD serum 25-OHD3 concentrations differed significantly in the guinea pigs (p<0.0001) between the UVB supplementation group (101.49±21.81 nmol/L) and the control group (36.33±24.42 nmol/L). An increased corneal thickness in both eyes was also found in the UVB supplementation compared to the control group (right eye [OD]: p<0.0001; left eye [OS]: p<0.0001). There were no apparent negative clinical or pathologic side effects noted between the groups. This study found that exposing guinea pigs to UVB radiation long term significantly increased their circulating serum 25-OHD3 levels, and that this increase was sustainable over time. Providing guinea pigs exposure to UVB may be an important husbandry consideration that is not currently recommended.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calcification, Physiologic / radiation effects
  • Calcium / blood
  • Eye Diseases / etiology
  • Female
  • Guinea Pigs
  • Parathyroid Hormone / blood
  • Safety
  • Time Factors
  • Ultraviolet Rays / adverse effects*
  • Vitamin D / analogs & derivatives
  • Vitamin D / blood

Substances

  • Parathyroid Hormone
  • Vitamin D
  • 25-hydroxyvitamin D
  • Calcium

Grants and funding

PetSmart Charities provided funding for this project. Dr. Kemba Marshall was included as a co-author as a member of the team that designed the study, provided additional resources, and helped with the preparation of the manuscript. Oxbow Animal Health provided funding for this project. Dr. Micah Kohles was included as a co-author as a member of the team that designed the study, provided additional resources, and helped with the preparation of the manuscript. Fluker Farms (Port Allen, LA) was a sponsor that contributed funding but played no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.