Effects of maternal vitamin D deficiency before and during pregnancy on intestinal flora and cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide expression in offspring rats / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

ABSTRACT

Objective: To explore the effects of maternal vitamin D deficiency before and during pregnancy on the intestinal flora and cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) in offspring rats. Methods: Twenty-four female Sprague-Dawley rats (8-week-old) were randomly assigned to three groups (n=8 per group), i.e. control group (C group), vitamin D deficiency group (VDD group), and vitamin D supplement group (VDS group). Special diets were used to build the rat models of vitamin D deficiency before and during pregnancy. Maternal 25(OH)D level was detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) at gestational day 14. At the age of 4 weeks in offsprings, the level of 25(OH)D was measured; the faeces were collected for the detection of intestinal flora; the mRNA and protein expression of CAMP were evaluated by real-time quantitative RTPCR and Western blotting, respectively. Results: The rat models of vitamin D deficiency before and during pregnancy were successfully established. The relative abundance of intestinal Lactobacillus in the offspring rats in C group, VDD group and VDS group was 0.050±0.016, 0.028±0.013 and 0.033±0.021, respectively. Compared with C group, the relative abundance of intestinal Lactobacillus in VDD group significantly decreased (P<0.05),and the mRNA and protein expression of colonic CAMP significantly decreased as well (P<0.05). Compared with VDD group, VDS group showed a trend of increase in the abundance of intestinal Lactobacillus; the mRNA expression of colonic CAMP didn't change significantly, but the protein expression of colonic CAMP significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy results in decreased abundance of intestinal Lactobacilli as well as reduced mRNA and protein expression of colonic CAMP in offspring rats. Vitamin D supplementation significantly improves the protein expression of colonic CAMP and induces a trend of increase in the abundance of intestinal Lactobacilli in offspring rats.