Systolic arterial pressure, body weight and echocardiographic data.

<p>Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation of mean or median with 25 and 75 percentiles. n: number of rats. C: control group (no supplementation with vitamin D); VD3: supplemented with 3,000 IU VD/kg of chow; VD10: supplemented with 10,000 IU VD/kg of chow. BW: body weight; SAP: Systolic arterial pressure; HR: heart rate; CO: cardiac output; EF: ejection fraction; E: E wave; A: A wave; LA: left atrium; LVEDD: left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter; LVM: left ventricular mass. * p<0.05 versus control group.</p

Data on the vascular mechanical properties and Metalloproteinase-2 and -9 activities by gelatin zimography.

<p>Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation of mean or median with 25 and 75 percentiles, numbers in parentheses indicate the numbers of animals included in each experimental group. C: control group (no supplementation with vitamin D); VD3: supplemented with 3,000 IU VD/kg of chow; VD10: supplemented with 10,000 IU VD/kg of chow. * p<0.05 versus control group; # p<0.05 versus VD3 group.</p

Summary of pD₂ and Maximal Response values.

<p>Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation of mean or median with 25 and 75 percentiles; numbers in parentheses indicate the numbers of animals included in each experimental group. C: control group (no supplementation with vitamin D); VD3: supplemented with 3,000 IU VD/kg of chow; VD10: supplemented with 10,000 IU VD/kg of chow. pD₂: indicates -log EC₅₀ (the concentration of agonist producing half-maximal response); Phe: phenylephrine; E⁺: endothelium-intact vessels; E⁻: endothelium-denuded vessels; Ach: acetylcholine; SNP: sodium nitroprusside. * p<0.05 versus control group.</p

Elastin content in the aortic sections and fragmentation of elastic fibers in the VD10 group.

<p>Photographs of aortic samples (400×) stained by Calleja. C: control group (no supplementation with vitamin D); VD3: supplemented with 3,000 IU VD/kg of chow; VD10: supplemented with 10,000 IU VD/kg of chow.</p

Vitamin D and food ingestion, serum calcium and phosphorus and plasma 25 (OH) D₃.

<p>Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation of mean or median with 25 and 75 percentiles, numbers in parentheses indicate the numbers of animals included in each experimental group. C: control group (no supplementation with vitamin D); VD3: supplemented with 3,000 IU VD/kg of chow; VD10: supplemented with 10,000 IU VD/kg of chow; 25 (OH) D₃: plasma 25-hydroxycholecalciferol; Ca: serum calcium; P: serum phosphorus. * p<0.05 versus control group; # p<0.05 versus VD3 group.</p