Effects of Dietary Vitamin D Deficiency on Serum Ghrelin and Leptin Levels in New Zealand White Rabbits

Ghrelin, an orexigenic hormone, promotes energy intake by stimulating appetite, whereas leptin, an anorexigenic hormone, plays a pivotal role in maintaining energy homeostasis by suppressing food consumption. The present study aimed to evaluate whether a 24-week vitamin D-deficient diet induces vitamin D deficiency in New Zealand White rabbits and to assess the associated changes in serum ghrelin and leptin levels. A total of sixteen two-month-old New Zealand White rabbits were included in the study. Following a 15-day acclimatization period, the animals were randomly divided into two groups, each consisting of eight rabbits. Group II received a standard rabbit diet supplemented with vitamin D, whereas Group I was fed a vitamin D–deficient diet for a period of 24 weeks. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were measured as 22.15 ± 1.70 ng/mL in Group I and 44.20 ± 6.09 ng/mL in Group II, confirming the successful induction of vitamin D deficiency. Serum ghrelin levels were found to be 0.13 ± 0.02 ng/mL in Group I and 0.24 ± 0.04 ng/mL in Group II. Similarly, serum leptin levels were measured at 2.39 ± 0.07 ng/mL in Group I and 2.69 ± 0.09 ng/mL in Group II. In Group 2, 25(OH)D, ghrelin and leptin levels were found to be statistically significantly higher than in Group 1 (p < 0.05).These findings suggest that vitamin D deficiency is associated with alterations in both ghrelin and leptin concentrations.