Therapeutic Effects Of Vitamin Research Articles

Vitamin E Ameliorates Lipid Metabolism in Mice with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease via Nrf2/CES1 Signaling Pathway.

Vitamin E has been reported to have a beneficial effect on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, the underlying mechanism of action has not yet been clearly defined. We aimed to evaluate the effects and mechanisms of vitamin E on lipid and glucose homeostasis both in vivo and in vitro. An NAFLD model was established in C57BL/6 mice fed a 30% fructose solution for 8weeks. Subsequently, NAFLD mice were given vitamin E (70mg/kg) for 2weeks. In addition, L02 cells were treated with 5mM fructose and 100nM vitamin E to explore the potential mechanisms of action. Vitamin E reversed the impaired glucose tolerance of fructose-treated mice. Histopathological examination showed that liver steatosis was significantly relieved in vitamin E-treated mice. These effects may be attributed to the upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), carboxylesterase 1 (CES1), and downregulated proteins involved in lipid synthesis by vitamin E treatment. In vivo, vitamin E also significantly reduced lipid accumulation in fructose-treated L02 cells, and the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 reversed the protective effects of vitamin E. These data indicated that the therapeutic effects of vitamin E on lipid and glucose homeostasis may be associated with activation of the Nrf2/CES1 signaling pathway.

Therapeutic effect of Vitamin E in preventing bone loss: An evidence-based review.

The present review explored the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of vitamin E, which has protective action against osteoporosis. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify the published bone studies on vitamin E. The studies included inflammatory or immunology-related parameters. Medline and Scopus databases were searched for relevant studies published from 2005 till 2015. Research articles published in English and confined to the effect of vitamin E on bone were included. It is pertinent to mention that these studies took into consideration inflammatory or immunology parameters including interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL), inducible nitric oxide synthases (iNOS), serum amyloid A (SAA), e-selection and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). An extended literature search yielded 127 potentially relevant articles with seven articles meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Another recent article was added with the total number accounting to eight. All these included literature comprised five animal studies, one in-vitro study and two human studies. These studies demonstrated that vitamin E, especially tocotrienol, was able to alleviate IL-1, IL-6, RANKL, iNOS and hs-CRP levels in relation to bone metabolism. In conclusion, vitamin E exerts its anti-osteoporotic actions via its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects.

Vitamin D supplementation for acute bronchiolitis: a double-blind randomized controlled trial

Background Vitamin D deficiency has been declared as a risk factor for acute bronchiolitis. Objective The aim was to delineate the therapeutic effect of vitamin D supplementation on the clinical course of acute bronchiolitis and to investigate the relationship between vitamin D status and the severity of acute bronchiolitis. Materials and methods A randomized double-blind controlled trial was conducted including 60 infants who required hospital-based care for acute bronchiolitis. The included infants were randomly assigned to either vitamin D3 treatment (100 IU/kg/day) (vitamin D group) or placebo (placebo group) all through the period of admission. The primary outcome was the length of hospital stay in days, and the secondary outcome measures were as follows: time to resolution of tachypnea, chest retractions, hypoxia, inability to feed/lethargy, and any adverse events. Modified Tal score was used for severity assessment. Basal serum vitamin D level was evaluated in all patients before enrollment in the randomized trial. Results The vitamin D group had significantly shorter length of hospital stay, rapid resolution of signs of respiratory distress, and shorter need for oxygen therapy. Further, patients with severe disease showed significant low basal serum vitamin D level compared with milder cases. Moreover, patients with exclusive breastfeeding and those with daily outdoor exposure for less than 1 h were found to have significantly lower serum vitamin D. Conclusion Vitamin D supplementation at a dose of 100 IU/kg/day could have a significant beneficial effect in infants with acute bronchiolitis.

Vitamin D as an adjunct to antibiotics for the treatment of acute childhood pneumonia.

Children with acute pneumonia may be vitamin D deficient. Clinical trials have found that prophylactic vitamin D supplementation decreases the risk of developing pneumonia in children. Data on the therapeutic effects of vitamin D in acute childhood pneumonia are limited. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitamin D supplementation as an adjunct to antibiotics for the treatment of acute childhood pneumonia. We searched CENTRAL (2017, Issue 7), which includes the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group's Specialised Register; Ovid MEDLINE Epub Ahead of Print; In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations; Ovid MEDLINE Daily and Ovid MEDLINE (1946 to July Week 4, 2017); and Embase (2010 to 28 July 2017). We also searched ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) on 28 July 2017. There were no language restrictions. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) including children (aged over one month and up to five years) hospitalised with acute community-acquired pneumonia, as defined by the WHO acute respiratory infection guidelines, that compared vitamin D supplementation with control. Two review authors independently assessed studies for inclusion and extracted data. For dichotomous data, we extracted the number of participants experiencing the outcome and the total number of participants in each treatment group. For continuous data, we used the arithmetic mean and standard deviation (SD) for each treatment group together with numbers of participants in each group. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. We included seven RCTs conducted in low-income countries that involved 1529 children (780 with pneumonia and 749 with severe or very severe pneumonia). Four studies used a single 100,000 IU dose of vitamin D₃ at the onset of illness or within 24 hours of hospital admission; two used a daily dose of oral vitamin D₃ (1000 IU for children aged up to one year and 2000 IU for children aged over one year) for five days; and one used a daily dose of oral vitamin D₃ (50,000 IU) for two days. One study reported microbiological and radiological diagnosis of pneumonia.The effects of vitamin D on outcomes were inconclusive when compared with control: time to resolution of acute illness (hours) (mean difference (MD) -0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) -6.14 to 4.24; 3 studies; 935 children; low-quality evidence) mortality rate (risk ratio (RR) 0.97, 95% CI 0.06 to 15.28; 1 study; 193 children; very low-quality evidence); duration of hospitalisation (MD 0.49, 95% CI -8.41 to 9.4; 4 studies; 835 children; very low-quality evidence) and time to resolution of fever (MD 1.66, 95% CI -2.44 to 5.76; 4 studies; 584 children; very low-quality evidence).No major adverse events were reported.The GRADE assessment found very low-quality evidence (due to serious study limitations, inconsistencies, indirectness, and imprecision) for all outcomes except time to resolution of acute illness.One study was funded by the New Zealand Aid Corporation; one study was funded by an institutional grant; and five studies were unfunded. We are uncertain as to whether vitamin D has an important effect on outcomes because the results were imprecise. No major adverse events were reported. We assessed the quality of the evidence as very low to low. Several trials are ongoing and may provide additional information.

Preventive and therapeutic effects of vitamin D in a mouse model of allergic asthma.

Vitamin D produces an anti-allergic effect that prevents inflammation due to asthma. We investigated whether vitamin D has an anti-inflammatory effect on the sensitization and challenge stages of asthma development in a murine model. Mice were divided into the following five groups according to ovalbumin (OVA) and vitamin D (VD) administration: control group, OVA group, preventive VD group (VD injection before OVA sensitization), inhibitory VD group (VD injection after OVA challenge), and dual VD groups (VD injection before OVA sensitization and after OVA challenge). Each group was evaluated for airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), cell counts, cytokines, total IgE, and OVA-specific IgE using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Cytokines in the lysate and eosinophils in the lung tissue were also evaluated. AHR occurred less in the groups to which VD was administered than in the OVA group. The eosinophils, neutrophils, IL-5 in BALF, IL-4, TGF-β, and eosinophils in lysate decreased with the administration of VD in the preventive, inhibitory, and dual VD groups compared with the OVA group. Although the lymphocytes, macrophages, IL-4 in BALF, and IL-5 in lysate decreased with administration of VD in the inhibitory and dual VD groups, they were not affected by preventive VD administration. These anti-allergic effects of VD were most noticeable with VD administration for dual (preventive and inhibitory) purposes. VD may produce preventive and inhibitory effects on the development and exacerbation of asthma in a murine model. These effects are most noticeable when VD is used for dual purposes.

Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, vitamin D intake, and pancreatic cancer risk or mortality: a meta-analysis.

BackgroundThe associations between vitamin D status, including plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and vitamin D intake, and pancreatic cancer risk and mortality are inconsistent. The aims of this study are to evaluate the antitumor and therapeutic effects of vitamin D status for pancreatic cancer patients.MethodsA literature search for relevant studies was conducted using PubMed and Embase databases. Risk ratio (RR), hazard ratio (HR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as the effect measures. All statistical analyses were performed using Stata software 12.0.ResultsOur results indicated that high plasma 25(OH)D levels were inversely associated with pancreatic cancer mortality without significant heterogeneity (HR=0.81, 95% CI=0.68–0.96). However, high plasma 25(OH)D levels could not reduce pancreatic cancer risk (RR=1.02, 95% CI=0.66–1.57). Moreover, vitamin D intake was also not associated with pancreatic cancer risk (RR=1.11, 95% CI=0.67–1.86)ConclusionsOur results indicate that high plasma 25(OH)D levels were significantly associated with improved survival in pancreatic cancer patients. However, there were no significant associations between vitamin D intake or plasma 25(OH)D levels and pancreatic cancer risk.

Therapeutic effect of vitamin D in acute lower respiratory infection: A randomized controlled trial

To study the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the outcome of acute lower respiratory infection in hospitalized children. This is an open label parallel group randomized trial. Total of 154 children aged 2mo-5yrs (mean age 13mo) admitted with acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) were randomized to receive standard care therapy alone or standard care therapy for the respiratory infection along with a single oral dose of 100,000IU of vitamin D3. Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured at admission in all the children and 72h after administration of vitamin D in the supplemented group. Primary outcome measured was the duration of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes measured were mortality, incidence of complications, admission to PICU and recurrence of respiratory infections within 90 days of discharge. Primary outcome was compared using Mann Whitney U test and secondary outcomes were compared using chi-square or Fischer's exact test. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference in the primary outcome (Median duration of hospital stay in both the groups) and also in secondary outcomes (mortality, PICU admission, complications and recurrence of respiratory infections within 90 days of discharge). Single oral dose of 100,000IU of vitamin D3 did not lead to reduction in duration of hospital stay, mortality, PICU admission or complications related to ALRI when compared to standard therapy alone in under five children hospitalized with ALRI but was able to achieve serum vitamin D sufficiency within 72h of administration. Registered under clinical trial Registry of India Identifier no: CTRI/2014/09/005032.

Correlation of clinical, radiological and serum analysis of hypovitaminosis D with polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ObjectivesVitamin D deficiency leads to a myriad of healthcare problems from cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine, and neurological disorders to cancer. However, the role of vitamin D deficiency in the etiopathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is unclear. This study aimed to measure objectively the impact of vitamin D deficiency on PCOS through a quantitative assessment of the existing literature.MethodsWe conducted a systematic search of published literature on the following online databases using EndnoteX7: MEDLINE, EBSCO, ScienceDirect, and CINAHL. Searches were limited to full-text English-language journal articles published between 2006 and 2016. Eligible clinical studies employed control group data to investigate the association between vitamin D deficiency and PCOS.ResultsWe identified 10 studies eligible for this meta-analysis. The summary intervention effect calculated for this meta-analysis yields a value of −0.45 with a confidence interval of −1.68 to 0.79, supporting the hypothesis that lower concentrations of serum vitamin D play a role in the hormonal and metabolic dysregulation seen in PCOS.ConclusionsLower concentrations of serum vitamin D are associated with a greater risk of developing PCOS. However, the therapeutic effect of vitamin D in the setting of PCOS remains unclear and must be determined by future interventional studies.

Effect of vitamin D supplementation on chronic liver disease: systematic literature review

Introduction: It is long known that vitamin D deficiency was common in patients with liver disease, but little is known on the therapeutic effects of vitamin D, especially in patients with chronic liver disease. In this study, we aimed to systematically review the literatures and study the evidences in which the effects of vitamin D supplementation had been investigated on the severity of chronic liver disease or liver cirrhosis.Methods: A systematic literature search was performed by using the following key terms “vitamin D supplementation” and “chronic liver disease” in the PubMed, Scopus and Google scholar to find relevant articles. After collecting the eligible documents, data were extracted and described based on the purpose of this review.Result: Of total 196 articles found, only 7 relevant documents with 518 studied patients were included. The results of this study showed that the levels of 25(OH) D were considerably lower in patients with chronic liver disease. Findings showed that vitamin D supplementation can rise up the mean serum level of 25(OH) D in patients with severe vitamin D deficiency, especially patients with liver cirrhosis.Conclusion:The results of this review showed that vitamin D deficiency is associated with the severity of liver disease and may have prognostic value in the assessment of liver disease. Also, it was shown that vitamin D supplementation may be helpful for the treatment of liver disease at least in certain groups of patients.

The Therapeutic Effect of Vitamin C in an Animal Model of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Produced by Prolonged Hindpaw Ischemia-Reperfusion in Rats.

Objectives: It is known that increased free radicals from oxidative stress are one of the major causes of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that vitamin C has a dose-related treatment effect in a chronic post-ischemic pain (CPIP) model.Methods: A total of 49 male rats weighing 250 to 350 g were used. The 4 treatment groups were control (no medication), group 1.0 (administration of 1 mg/day for vitamin C for 5 days), group 2.5 (administration of 2.5 mg/day vitamin C for 5 days), and group 7.5 (administration of 7.5 mg/day vitamin C for 5 days). The 50% mechanical withdrawal threshold and total blood antioxidant status (TAS) were measured before and after administration of vitamin C.Results: Twenty-eight CPIP model rats were generated from 49 rats. Seven rats were randomly allocated to each group. The 50% mechanical withdrawal threshold of group 2.5 (after the administration of vitamin C) was higher than that of the control group and group 1.0 (P < 0.05). At 1 day of the administration of vitamin C, the 50% mechanical withdrawal threshold of group 1.0 was higher than that of the control group and the blood levels of TAS in groups 2.5 and 7.5 were higher than that in control group (P < 0.05). Twelve days after the administration of vitamin C, the blood levels of TAS in groups 2.5 and 7.5 were lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05).Discussion: The administration of a proper dose of vitamin C can reduce oxidative stress, increase antioxidants, and recover the threshold for mechanical allodynia in the CPIP model.

Vitamin A, D & Zinc Serum Levels in Children with Acute Gastroentritis: A Case Control Study: Tehran, Iran

Background and Objective: Diarrhea (as one of the main manifestations of parasitic or microbial infections in gastrointestinal tract) is still a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in children younger than 5 years old in developing countries such as Iran. Objective: Identify and compare the relationship between serum levels of zinc, vitamin A and D in children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and the control group to demonstrate that those who need hospitalization due to infection have lower levels of said elements. Materials and Methods: This was a cross sectional study on 25 patients with AGE in pediatric ward of Rasul Akram hospital and Bahrami Hospital during a year (2011-2012), were compared to 40 other patients who were admitted to surgical wards for elective surgery. 72% of all the patients were male and 28% were female. All patients were older than 6 months years; mean age of cases was 2.17 years. Serum levels of vitamins A and D and zinc were measured using HPLC; Radioimmunoassay; atomic methods in 2 groups. Findings: Despite the lower levels of vitamins A in cases than controls, serum levels were not significantly different (p=0.5). Serum levels of zinc were considerably but not significantly lower in cases than the controls (p=0.06). However, serum levels of vitamin D were significantly lower in AGE cases (p=0.003). Conclusion: We found lower serum levels of vitamin D in AGE cases but no difference had found in serum levels of vitamin A and zinc between the two groups probably is the end result of various effects of vitamin A and zinc on diarrhea in different age groups and AGE. This trial emphasizes therapeutic effects of vitamin D supplementation on AGE in children especially in those with malnutrition and in developing countries. Therefore, other trials on a larger scale designed to investigate discriminating different etiologies for AGE and in different age groups is performed.

Therapeutic Effect of Vitamin E on Testicular Tissue Damage Caused by Obesity

Obesity can adversely affect overall health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or an increase in the number of health problems. Meanwhile, alterations in testicular metabolism induced by high-energy diets (HED) may induce mitochondrial dysfunction, which is closely associated to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress. Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated damage to sperm is a significant contributing pathology in 30–80% of infertility cases. Vitamin E is considered to be the most effective liposolouble antioxidant found in biological systems. Here we evaluated the protective role of vitamin E against obesity-induced morphological changes in testes from albino rats fed different diets. Animals were divided into four groups: Group 1: standard controlled diet (SCD); Group 2: positive control group fed a high-fat diet (HFD); Group 3: αTF+HFD fed HFD supplemented with 100 mg/kg vitamin E (αTF); Group 4: αTF+SCD, fed 100 mg/kg αTF and SCD. Rats were weighed before and after the 10 week feeding period to determine changes in body weight (BWG %). After collecting blood from an intracardiac puncture under deep anesthesia, all animals were sacrificed and samples were analyzed by light microscopy. A HFD appeared to cause spermatocyte and Leydig cell damage, as well as decreases in testicular weight and function and testosterone production. Vitamin E supplementation promoted Leydig cell repair and reduced damage induced by a HFD, suggesting that vitamin E is an important dietary component to mitigate the negative effects of a high fat diet.

A study on the role of calcium homeostasis and vitamin D deficiency in premenopausal systemic lupus erythematosus patients and its relation with disease activity

Introduction Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory autoimmune disorder that may affect multiple organ systems. Vitamin D levels and its role in lupus inflammation is still a matter of debate. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the role of calcium homeostasis and vitamin D deficiency in premenopausal SLE patients and its relation with disease activity. Patients and methods We assessed serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level in 60 (SLE) patients and 20 age and sex-matched healthy controls. We also assessed different clinical, immunological, and laboratory disease parameters in SLE patients − namely, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, antinuclear antibody, antidouble stranded DNA, C3, and C4–and disease activity score using the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score. We correlated serum 25(OH)D with disease activity and different environmental parameters that might affect 25(OH)D level. Results A significantly lower 25(OH)D level was found in SLE patients compared with controls (P=0.033). Serum 25(OH)D was inversely correlated to SLEDAI score (P=0.043), antidouble stranded DNA (P Conclusion Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is highly prevalent in SLE patients than in healthy controls, and is prevalent among SLE patients with higher disease activity, which suggests an important role of vitamin D3 in the pathogenesis of SLE disease activity and flares. The therapeutic effect of vitamin D in SLE should be further assessed in interventional studies.

Evaluation of Vitamin C as a Personalized Adjuvant Medicine: Pharmacogenomic Studies

Background: Although clinicians failed to reproduce Pauling and Cameron’s earlier reports on the therapeutic effects of vitamin C on cancer, new information on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of vitamin C as well as new clinical data has provided more in depth understanding of the critical aspects of vitamin C’s therapeutic effects. Previous clinical studies suggested that vitamin C, introduced to cancer patients by intravenous and oral pathways, might improve their symptoms. Methods: This review summarizes and focuses on different pharmacological effects of vitamin C that are currently under investigation in pharmacogenomic studies related to transporter gene polymorphism. Conclusion: From the information available, it seems clear that vitamin C is involved in a variety of disease mechanisms. This review might provide an evaluation of vitamin C as a personalized adjuvant medicine. Keywords: Vitamin C, VitaminC transporter, pharmacogenomics, personalized adjuvant medicine.

Effect of vitamin D on clinical and biochemical parameters in polycystic ovary syndrome women: A meta-analysis.

Using a meta-analysis framework, we investigated the association between the serum level of vitamin D and the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and further examined the therapeutic effect of vitamin D on the clinical features of PCOS. Multiple databases were searched to retrieve studies. We chose clinical studies that investigated the relation between the serum level of vitamin D and the risk of PCOS or the therapeutic effect of vitamin D on PCOS. The search results were screened according to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria to select high-quality studies for inclusion. Statistical analyses were carried out using stata 12.0. Seventeen studies were eligible in this meta-analysis. The levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index in the PCOS group were remarkably lower than in the controls, whereas the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance in the PCOS group was markedly higher than in the controls. No statistically significant difference was observed in serum parathyroid hormone levels between the two groups. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were significantly elevated after PCOS patients received vitamin D3 treatment, but serum parathyroid hormone concentration, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index did not show any significant changes, indicating a lack of therapeutic response. Our results suggest that the serum level of vitamin D is associated with the risk of PCOS, but the therapeutic effect of vitamin D on PCOS remains to be further explored.

Therapeutic Effects of Vitamin D in Asthma and Allergy.

In recent years, low vitamin D status has been proposed as a putative risk factor for allergic diseases. A growing body of literature reports low vitamin D levels in atopic patients and supports an association between vitamin D deficiency and risk of adverse asthma and allergies outcomes. Therefore, it has been speculated that vitamin D supplementation may either prevent or reduce the risk of allergic diseases. Birth cohort studies addressing the role of vitamin D intake during pregnancy have shown conflicting results regarding allergy outcomes in offspring. Currently, only a few studies have tried to supplement vitamin D in asthmatic patients, often as an add-on therapy to standard asthma controller medications, and results are not all consistent. There is emerging data to show that vitamin D can enhance the antiinflammatory effects of glucocorticoids and potentially be used as adjuvant therapy in steroid-resistant asthma. Recent in vivo data suggest that vitamin D supplementation may also reduce the severity of atopic dermatitis. This review examines the existing relevant literature focusing on vitamin D supplementation in the treatment of allergic diseases.

Association of low vitamin D with high disease activity in an Australian systemic lupus erythematosus cohort

BackgroundVitamin D status varies with geographic location and no studies of vitamin D in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been reported in the Southern Hemisphere.ObjectivesTo assess the prevalence of vitamin...

Therapeutic effects of vitamin E supplementation in 4 dogs with poor semen quality and low superoxide dismutase activity in seminal plasma

Four dogs with poor semen quality, low seminal plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and low blood plasma testosterone (T) levels were orally administered one vitamin E tablet containing 50 mg α-tocopheryl acetate per dog daily for 4 weeks. The mean values of semen quality were temporarily improved after the start of vitamin E treatment and the values of 4, and 5 weeks after that were significantly different from those before the treatment (P<0.05–0.001). The mean blood plasma T and seminal plasma SOD activity values slightly increased in the 4 dogs after the treatment. The results of the present study indicate that poor semen quality in dogs with low seminal plasma SOD can be improved by vitamin E treatment.

The vitamin D controversy (Part 1)

Vitamin D production in human skin is linked to UV radiation, which is inversely correlated with the prevalence of multiple sclerosis. It has been demonstrated that vitamin D responsive elements in the gene regulatory regions of several proteins confer imunoregulatory properties early in life. Vitamin D has the capacity to induce Th2 and Treg cells and therefore increasing levels of circulating vitamin D is considered beneficial in patients with multiple sclerosis. Although its role in the pathogenesis of the disease is very well understood, the therapeutic effect of vitamin D is still heavily debated. In this presentation, I will provide evidence from recent clinical trials which clearly demonstrates the in vivo immunomodulatory capacity of vitamin D in patients with MS and its potential as an important treatment addition to other disease modifying agents in MS. In addition, supplementation of vitamin D is an important factor for bone health and physical ability in patients with multiple sclerosis during different stages of the disease.

Protective and restorative potency of Vitamin D on persistent biochemical autistic features induced in propionic acid-intoxicated rat pups.

BackgroundReducing exposure to toxic environmental agents is a critical area of intervention. Prenatal or postnatal exposure to certain chemicals has been documented to increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder. Propionic acid (PA) found in some foods and formed as a metabolic product of gut microbiota has been reported to mediate the effects of autism. Results from animal studies may help to identify environmental contaminants and drugs that produce or prevent neurotoxicity, and may thereby aid in the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. The present study investigated the protective and/or therapeutic effects of vitamin D against brain intoxication induced by propionic acid (PPA) in rats.MethodsTwenty-eight young male Western Albino rats were enrolled in the present study. They were grouped into four equal groups of 7. The control group received only phosphate buffered saline; the oral buffered PPA-treated group received a neurotoxic dose of 250 mg/kg body weight/day for 3 days; and the Vitamin D-protected group received 1000 IU/kg/day of alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D (3) (1, 25-VD) for two weeks, after which the rats were injected with PPA 250 mg/Kg body weight/day for 3 days. The fourth group received PPA 250 mg/Kg body weight/day for 3 days followed by alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D (3) (1, 25-VD) for two weeks (Vitamin D therapeutic effect). Vitamin D and calcium were measured in the plasma of the four studied groups. Serotonin, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), glutathione-s-transferase activity and DNA double helix breaks were assayed in the brain tissue of the rats for all groups.ResultsThe obtained data showed that the PPA-treated group demonstrated higher plasma vitamin D levels compared to the control rats, together with multiple signs of brain toxicity, as indicated by a depletion of serotonin (5HT), an increase in IFN-γ and inhibition of glutathione-s-transferase activity as three biomarkers of brain dysfunction. Additionally, Comet DNA assays showed remarkably higher tail length, tail DNA % damage and tail moment as a neurotoxic effect of PPA.ConclusionsVitamin D showed a greater protective than therapeutic effect on PPA-induced neurotoxicity in rats, as there was a remarkable amelioration of the impaired biochemically measured parameters representing neurochemical, inflammation, and detoxification processes.