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Ye X, Zhou Q, Ren P, Xiang W, Xiao L. The Synaptic and Circuit Functions of Vitamin D in Neurodevelopment Disorders. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2023; 19:1515-1530. [PMID: 37424961 PMCID: PMC10327924 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s407731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency is a public health issue around the world. According to epidemiological studies, low vitamin D levels have been associated with an increased risk of some neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Animal models reveal that vitamin D has a variety of impacts on the synapses and circuits in the brain. A lack of vitamin D affects the expression of synaptic proteins, as well as the synthesis and metabolism of various neurotransmitters. Depending on where vitamin D receptors (VDRs) are expressed, vitamin D may also regulate certain neuronal circuits through the endocannabinoid signaling, mTOR pathway and oxytocin signaling. While inconsistently, some data suggest that vitamin D supplementation may be able to reduce the core symptoms of ASD and ADHD. This review emphasizes vitamin D's role in the synaptic and circuit mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders including ASD and ADHD. Future application of vitamin D in these disorders will depend on both basic research and clinical studies, in order to make the transition from the bench to the bedside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoshan Ye
- Hainan Women and Children’s Medical Center, School of Pediatrics, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qionglin Zhou
- International School of Public Health and One Health, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Pengcheng Ren
- Hainan Women and Children’s Medical Center, School of Pediatrics, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Control of Tropical Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China
- School of Basic Medicine and Life Science, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Xiang
- Hainan Women and Children’s Medical Center, School of Pediatrics, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Control of Tropical Diseases, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Le Xiao
- Hainan Women and Children’s Medical Center, School of Pediatrics, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, People’s Republic of China
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Kaki S, DeRosa H, Timmerman B, Brummelte S, Hunter RG, Kentner AC. Developmental Manipulation-Induced Changes in Cognitive Functioning. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023; 63:241-289. [PMID: 36029460 PMCID: PMC9971379 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with as-yet no identified cause. The use of animals has been critical to teasing apart the potential individual and intersecting roles of genetic and environmental risk factors in the development of schizophrenia. One way to recreate in animals the cognitive impairments seen in people with schizophrenia is to disrupt the prenatal or neonatal environment of laboratory rodent offspring. This approach can result in congruent perturbations in brain physiology, learning, memory, attention, and sensorimotor domains. Experimental designs utilizing such animal models have led to a greatly improved understanding of the biological mechanisms that could underlie the etiology and symptomology of schizophrenia, although there is still more to be discovered. The implementation of the Research and Domain Criterion (RDoC) has been critical in taking a more comprehensive approach to determining neural mechanisms underlying abnormal behavior in people with schizophrenia through its transdiagnostic approach toward targeting mechanisms rather than focusing on symptoms. Here, we describe several neurodevelopmental animal models of schizophrenia using an RDoC perspective approach. The implementation of animal models, combined with an RDoC framework, will bolster schizophrenia research leading to more targeted and likely effective therapeutic interventions resulting in better patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahith Kaki
- School of Arts and Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Holly DeRosa
- School of Arts and Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA, USA
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brian Timmerman
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Susanne Brummelte
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | | | - Amanda C Kentner
- School of Arts and Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA, USA.
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Abstract
Many epidemiological studies have highlighted the link between vitamin D deficiency and schizophrenia. In particular, two prominent studies report an association between neonatal vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of schizophrenia. In parallel, much has been learnt about the role of vitamin D in the developing central nervous system over the last two decades. Studies in rodent models of developmental vitamin D (DVD)-deficiency describe how brain development is altered leading to a range of neurobiological and behavioral phenotypes of interest to schizophrenia. While glutamate and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) systems have been little investigated in these models, alterations in developing dopamine systems are frequently reported. There have been far more studies reporting patients with schizophrenia have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency compared to well controls. Here we have conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis that basically confirms this association and extends this to first-episode psychosis. However, patients with schizophrenia also have poorer general health, poorer diets, are frequently less active and also have an increased risk of other medical conditions, all factors which reduce circulating vitamin D levels. Therefore, we would urge caution in any causal interpretation of this association. We also summarize the inconsistent results from existing vitamin D supplementation trials in patients with schizophrenia. In respect to animal models of adult vitamin D deficiency, such exposures produce subtle neurochemical alterations and effects on cognition but do not appear to produce behavioral phenotypes of relevance to schizophrenia. We conclude, the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency during early life may increase the risk of schizophrenia remains plausible and warrants ongoing research.
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Melough MM, Murphy LE, Graff JC, Derefinko KJ, LeWinn KZ, Bush NR, Enquobahrie DA, Loftus CT, Kocak M, Sathyanarayana S, Tylavsky FA. Maternal Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D during Gestation Is Positively Associated with Neurocognitive Development in Offspring at Age 4-6 Years. J Nutr 2020; 151:132-139. [PMID: 33136167 PMCID: PMC7779214 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxaa309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vitamin D is critical to embryonic neuronal differentiation and other developmental processes that may affect future neurocognitive function. However, observational studies have found inconsistent associations between gestational vitamin D and neurocognitive outcomes. OBJECTIVES We examined the association of gestational 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] with children's IQ at 4-6 y, and explored whether associations differed by race. METHODS This study used data from the CANDLE (Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood) cohort. Between 2006 and 2011, CANDLE recruited 1503 women in their second trimester of healthy singleton pregnancies. Inclusion criteria for this analysis were gestation of ≥34 wk and availability of 25(OH)D and IQ data. Associations between second-trimester 25(OH)D plasma concentration and Stanford-Binet IQ scores in offspring at 4-6 y were examined using multivariable linear regression; interaction terms were used to explore possible effect modification by race. RESULTS Mean ± SD 25(OH)D concentration among 1019 eligible dyads was 21.6 ± 8.4 ng/mL, measured at a mean ± SD gestational age of 23.0 ± 3.0 wk. Vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL] was observed in 45.6%. Maternal 25(OH)D differed by race with a mean ± SD of 19.8 ± 7.2 ng/mL in Blacks sand 25.9 ± 9.3 ng/mL in Whites ( P < 0.001). In adjusted models a 10-ng/mL increase in 25(OH)D was associated with a 1.17-point higher Full Scale IQ (95% CI: 0.27, 2.06 points), a 1.17-point higher Verbal IQ (95% CI: 0.19, 2.15 points), and a 1.03-point higher Nonverbal IQ (95% CI: 0.10, 1.95 points). We observed no evidence of effect modification by race. CONCLUSIONS Second-trimester maternal 25(OH)D was positively associated with IQ at 4-6 y, suggesting that gestational vitamin D status may be an important predictor of neurocognitive development. These findings may help inform prenatal nutrition recommendations and may be especially relevant for Black and other dark-skinned women at high risk of vitamin D deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura E Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA,Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - J Carolyn Graff
- Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA,College of Nursing, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Karen J Derefinko
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Kaja Z LeWinn
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel A Enquobahrie
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christine T Loftus
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mehmet Kocak
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA,Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Frances A Tylavsky
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
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Mutua AM, Nampijja M, Elliott AM, Pettifor JM, Williams TN, Abubakar A, Webb EL, Atkinson SH. Vitamin D Status Is Not Associated with Cognitive or Motor Function in Pre-School Ugandan Children. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12061662. [PMID: 32503251 PMCID: PMC7352320 DOI: 10.3390/nu12061662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency is common worldwide and young children are among the most affected groups. Animal studies suggest a key role for vitamin D in brain development. However, studies investigating the effects of vitamin D on neurobehavioural outcomes in children are inconclusive and evidence is limited in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the effect of vitamin D status on cognitive and motor outcomes using prospective data from the Entebbe Mother and Baby Study birth cohort. We analysed data from 302 Ugandan children with 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) measurements below five years and developmental measures at five years of age. We used multivariable linear regression, adjusted for potential confounders, to estimate the effect of 25(OH)D on cognitive and motor outcomes. Of 302 children, eight (2.7%) had 25(OH)D levels <50 nmol/L, 105 (35.8%) had levels 50-75 nmol/L and 189 (62.6%) had levels >75 nmol/L. There was no evidence that earlier vitamin D status was associated with cognitive and motor outcomes in five-year-old Ugandan children. This study adds to the sparse literature and highlights the need for further longitudinal studies on vitamin D and neurobehavioural outcomes in children living in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes M. Mutua
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Centre for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, P.O. BOX 230-80108 Kilifi, Kenya; (T.N.W.); (A.A.)
- Correspondence: (A.M.M.); (S.H.A.); Tel.: +254-709983677/76 (A.M.M.)
| | - Margaret Nampijja
- Maternal and Child Wellbeing (MCW) Unit, African Population and Health Research Center, P.O. Box 10787-00100 Nairobi, Kenya;
- Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda;
| | - Alison M. Elliott
- Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit, P.O. Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda;
- Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - John M. Pettifor
- South African Medical Research Council and Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of the Witwatersrand, 26 Chris Hani Road, Soweto 6201, Johannesburg, South Africa;
| | - Thomas N. Williams
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Centre for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, P.O. BOX 230-80108 Kilifi, Kenya; (T.N.W.); (A.A.)
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, St Mary’s Hospital, London W2 1NY, UK
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Amina Abubakar
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Centre for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, P.O. BOX 230-80108 Kilifi, Kenya; (T.N.W.); (A.A.)
- Department of Public Health, School of Human and Health Sciences, Pwani University, P.O. BOX 195-80108 Kilifi, Kenya
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK
- Institute for Human Development, Aga Khan University, 2nd Parklands Avenue, P.O. BOX 30270-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Emily L. Webb
- MRC Tropical Epidemiology Group, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK;
| | - Sarah H. Atkinson
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Centre for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, P.O. BOX 230-80108 Kilifi, Kenya; (T.N.W.); (A.A.)
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Correspondence: (A.M.M.); (S.H.A.); Tel.: +254-709983677/76 (A.M.M.)
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Faye PA, Poumeaud F, Miressi F, Lia AS, Demiot C, Magy L, Favreau F, Sturtz FG. Focus on 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 in the Peripheral Nervous System. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:348. [PMID: 31031586 PMCID: PMC6474301 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we draw attention to the roles of calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3) in the trophicity of the peripheral nervous system. Calcitriol has long been known to be crucial in phosphocalcium homeostasis. However, recent discoveries concerning its involvement in the immune system, anti-cancer defenses, and central nervous system development suggest a more pleiotropic role than previously thought. Several studies have highlighted the impact of calcitriol deficiency as a promoting factor of various central neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Based on these findings and recent publications, a greater role for calcitriol may be envisioned in the peripheral nervous system. Indeed, calcitriol is involved in myelination, axonal homogeneity of peripheral nerves, and neuronal-cell differentiation. This may have useful clinical consequences, as calcitriol supplementation may be a simple means to avoid the onset and/or development of peripheral nervous-system disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Antoine Faye
- EA 6309, Myelin Maintenance and Peripheral Neuropathies, Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Limoges, Limoges, France.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University Hospital of Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - François Poumeaud
- EA 6309, Myelin Maintenance and Peripheral Neuropathies, Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Federica Miressi
- EA 6309, Myelin Maintenance and Peripheral Neuropathies, Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Anne Sophie Lia
- EA 6309, Myelin Maintenance and Peripheral Neuropathies, Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Limoges, Limoges, France.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University Hospital of Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Claire Demiot
- EA 6309, Myelin Maintenance and Peripheral Neuropathies, Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Laurent Magy
- CHU de Limoges, Reference Center for Rare Peripheral Neuropathies, Department of Neurology, Limoges, France
| | - Frédéric Favreau
- EA 6309, Myelin Maintenance and Peripheral Neuropathies, Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Limoges, Limoges, France.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University Hospital of Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Franck G Sturtz
- EA 6309, Myelin Maintenance and Peripheral Neuropathies, Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Limoges, Limoges, France.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University Hospital of Limoges, Limoges, France
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Rahman A, Al-Taiar A, Shaban L, Al-Sabah R, Al-Harbi A, Mojiminiyi O. Plasma 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Is Not Associated with Either Cognitive Function or Academic Performance in Adolescents. Nutrients 2018; 10:nu10091197. [PMID: 30200421 PMCID: PMC6165454 DOI: 10.3390/nu10091197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Several observational studies have reported an association between low levels of vitamin D (VD) and poor cognition in adults, but there is a paucity of data on such an association in adolescents. We investigated the association between VD and cognitive function or academic achievement among 1370 adolescents, who were selected from public middle schools in Kuwait, using stratified multistage cluster random sampling with probability proportional to size. Plasma 25-hydroxy VD (25-OH-D) was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). An age-adjusted standard score (ASC), calculated from Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices test, was used to evaluate cognitive function; academic achievements were extracted from the schools’ records. Data on various covariates were collected from the parents through a self-administered questionnaire and from the adolescents using face-to-face interviews. 25-OH-D was weakly correlated positively with ASC (ρ = 0.06; p = 0.04). Univariable linear regression analysis showed an association between 25-OH-D categories and ASC after adjusting for gender, but adjusting for parental education was sufficient to explain this association. Multivariable analysis showed no association between 25-OH-D and ASC after adjusting for potential confounders whether 25-OH-D was fitted as a continuous variable (p = 0.73), a variable that is categorized by acceptable cutoff points (p = 0.48), or categorized into quartiles (p = 0.88). Similarly, 25-OH-D was not associated with academic performance. We conclude that 25-OH-D is associated with neither cognitive function nor academic performance in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdur Rahman
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Life Sciences, Kuwait University, Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait.
| | - Abdullah Al-Taiar
- Department of Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait.
| | - Lemia Shaban
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Life Sciences, Kuwait University, Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait.
| | - Reem Al-Sabah
- Department of Community Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait.
| | - Anwar Al-Harbi
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Life Sciences, Kuwait University, Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait.
| | - Olusegun Mojiminiyi
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait.
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Wagner CL, Hollis BW. The Implications of Vitamin D Status During Pregnancy on Mother and her Developing Child. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:500. [PMID: 30233496 PMCID: PMC6127214 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy is a time of tremendous growth and physiological changes for mother and her developing fetus with lifelong implications for the child. The concert of actions that must occur so mother does not reject the foreign tissue of the fetus is substantial. There must be exquisite balance between maternal tolerance to these foreign proteins of paternal origin but also immune surveillance and function such that the mother is not immunocompromised. When this process goes awry, the mother may experience such pregnancy complications as preeclampsia and infections. Vitamin D deficiency affects these processes. Controversy continues with regard to the optimal daily intake of vitamin D, when sunlight exposure should be taken into account, and how to define sufficiency during such vulnerable and critical periods of development. The importance of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy in preventing some of the health risks to the mother and fetus appears linked to achieving 25(OH)D concentrations >40 ng/mL, the beginning point of the plateau where conversion of the vitamin D metabolite 25(OH)D, the pre-hormone, to 1,25(OH)2D, the active hormone, is optimized. Throughout pregnancy, the delivery of adequate vitamin D substrate-through sunlight or supplement-is required to protect both mother and fetus, and when in sufficient supply, favorably impacts the epigenome of the fetus, and in turn, long term health. There is a growing need for future research endeavors to focus not only on critical period(s) from pre-conception through pregnancy, but throughout life to prevent certain epigenetic changes that adversely affect health. There is urgency based on emerging research to correct deficiency and maintain optimal vitamin D status. The impact of vitamin D and its metabolites on genetic signaling during pregnancy in both mother and fetus is an area of great activity and still in its early stages. While vitamin D repletion during pregnancy minimizes the risk of certain adverse outcomes (e.g., preterm birth, asthma, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes), the mechanisms of how these processes occur are not fully understood. As we intensify our research efforts in these areas. it is only a matter of time that such mechanisms will be defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol L. Wagner
- Neonatology, Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
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Rubio L, Téllez L, Regalado M, Torrero C, Salas M. Effects of perinatal undernutrition on social transmission of food preference in adult male Wistar rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2018; 71:105-110. [PMID: 30149118 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrition plays a fundamental role in learning and memory, and early experimental undernutrition interferes with brain memory processes. Social transmission of food preference (STFP) is a natural olfactory paired-associate learning test that has not been used to assess the effects of early undernutrition on memory consolidation. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: control and early undernourished. The underfed rats received different percentages of a balanced diet during gestation. After birth, pups were underfed by alternating every 12 h between two lactating dams, one with ligated nipples. Weaning occurred on PD 25 followed by an ad lib diet until PD 90. Demonstrator rats were given powdered food mixed with cinnamon, followed by a 30-min interaction with an underfed observer. Thereafter, the observer had two choices of food: cinnamon or cocoa. During the food preference test, control and underfed OBS rats preferred the food containing cinnamon. Through social interaction, the UG OBS rats showed latency for head contacts and oral-nasal investigation was higher in the underfed rats; only head contacts and oral-nasal investigation frequency was lower; with the duration lower, but oral-nasal investigation duration was higher (p < 0.05). In the preference phase, the OBS underfed rat latencies for both stimuli were prolonged, the frequency lower only for cocoa, and the duration lower for cinnamon but higher for cocoa (p < 0.05). Findings suggested that early undernutrition interfered with the attentive social transmission to take a decision during the preference phase, but not with the short-term memory consolidation of social food preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Rubio
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Laura Téllez
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Mirelta Regalado
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Carmen Torrero
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Manuel Salas
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology and Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurobiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.
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Lead Affects Vitamin D Metabolism in Rats. Nutrients 2018; 10:nu10030264. [PMID: 29495376 PMCID: PMC5872682 DOI: 10.3390/nu10030264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A negative association between blood lead and vitamin D concentrations has been reported, however, experimental data on the effect of lead (Pb) on vitamin D metabolism is scarce. We investigated the effects of Pb on serum vitamin D metabolites, vitamin D activating enzymes and vitamin D receptor (VDR) in rats. Newborn Wistar rat pups were exposed to 0.2% Pb-acetate via their dams’ drinking water from post-natal day (PND) 1 to 21 and directly in drinking water until PND30. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was analyzed with LC-MS/MS and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D with an immunoassay. Tissue expression of vitamin D activating enzymes and VDR were measured by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was significantly decreased at both PND21 and PND30, whereas 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D was decreased (p < 0.05) only at PND21 in the Pb-exposed rats. Expression of renal 1-α-hydroxylase was decreased by Pb only at PND21 (p < 0.05) but the brain 1-α-hydroxylase was not affected. Hepatic 25-hydroxylase expression was significantly decreased at PND21 but significantly increased at PND30 by Pb exposure. VDR expression in the brain was increased at both PND21 and PND30 (p < 0.05). These results suggest that Pb interferes with vitamin D metabolism by affecting the expression of its metabolizing enzymes.
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