Vitamin D induced microbicidal activity against Mycobacterium bovis BCG is dependent on the synergistic activity of bovine peripheral blood cell populations.

A growing appreciation is emerging of the beneficial role of vitamin D for health and resistance against infectious diseases, including tuberculosis. However, research has predominantly focused on murine and human species and functional data in bovines is limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the microbicidal activity and immunoregulatory effect of the vitamin D metabolite 1,25(OH)2D3 on bovine peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) in response to Mycobacterium bovis BCG (BCG) infection using a combination of functional assays and gene expression profiling. Blood from Holstein-Friesian bull calves with low circulating levels of 25(OH)D was stimulated with 1,25(OH)2D3 for 2 h, and then infected with M. bovis BCG. Results showed that 1,25(OH)2D3 supplementation significantly increased BCG killing by on average 16 %, although responses varied between 1 % and 38 % killing. Serial cell subset depletion was then performed on PBL prior to 1,25(OH)2D3 incubation and BCG infected as before to analyse the contribution of major cell types to mycobacterial growth control. Specific antibodies and either magnetic cell separation or density gradient centrifugation of monocytes, granulocytes, CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T lymphocytes were used to capture each cell subset. Results showed that depletion of granulocytes had the greatest impact on BCG growth, leading to a significant enhancement of bacterial colonies. In contrast, depletion of CD4+ or CD8+ T cells individually, or in combination (CD3+), had no impact on mycobacterial growth control. In agreement with our previous data, 1,25(OH)2D3 significantly increased bacterial killing in PBL, in monocyte depleted samples, and a similar trend was observed in the granulocyte depleted subset. In addition, specific analysis of sorted neutrophils treated with 1,25(OH)2D3 showed an enhanced microbicidal activity against both BCG and a virulent strain of M. bovis. Lastly, data showed that 1,25(OH)2D3 stimulation increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the expression of genes encoding host defence peptides (HDP) and pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs), factors that play an important role in the microbicidal activity against mycobacteria. In conclusion, the vitamin D metabolite 1,25(OH)2D3 improves antimycobacterial killing in bovine PBLs via the synergistic activity of monocytes and granulocytes and enhanced activation of innate immunity.

The Role of Vitamin D in Small Animal Bone Metabolism.

Dogs and cats have differences in vitamin D metabolism compared to other mammalian species, as they are unable to perform vitamin D cutaneous synthesis through sun exposure. Therefore, they are dependent on the dietary intake of this nutrient. The classic functions of vitamin D are to stimulate intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption, renal calcium and phosphate reabsorption and regulate bone mineral metabolism. Thus, it is an important nutrient for calcium and phosphorus homeostasis. This review highlights the evidence of the direct and indirect actions of vitamin D on bone mineral metabolism, the consequences of nutritional imbalances of this nutrient in small animals, as well as differences in vitamin D metabolism between different size dogs.

Molecular aspects of intestinal calcium absorption.

Intestinal Ca(2+) absorption is a crucial physiological process for maintaining bone mineralization and Ca(2+) homeostasis. It occurs through the transcellular and paracellular pathways. The first route comprises 3 steps: the entrance of Ca(2+) across the brush border membranes (BBM) of enterocytes through epithelial Ca(2+) channels TRPV6, TRPV5, and Cav1.3; Ca(2+) movement from the BBM to the basolateral membranes by binding proteins with high Ca(2+) affinity (such as CB9k); and Ca(2+) extrusion into the blood. Plasma membrane Ca(2+) ATPase (PMCA1b) and sodium calcium exchanger (NCX1) are mainly involved in the exit of Ca(2+) from enterocytes. A novel molecule, the 4.1R protein, seems to be a partner of PMCA1b, since both molecules co-localize and interact. The paracellular pathway consists of Ca(2+) transport through transmembrane proteins of tight junction structures, such as claudins 2, 12, and 15. There is evidence of crosstalk between the transcellular and paracellular pathways in intestinal Ca(2+) transport. When intestinal oxidative stress is triggered, there is a decrease in the expression of several molecules of both pathways that inhibit intestinal Ca(2+) absorption. Normalization of redox status in the intestine with drugs such as quercetin, ursodeoxycholic acid, or melatonin return intestinal Ca(2+) transport to control values. Calcitriol [1,25(OH)2D3] is the major controlling hormone of intestinal Ca(2+) transport. It increases the gene and protein expression of most of the molecules involved in both pathways. PTH, thyroid hormones, estrogens, prolactin, growth hormone, and glucocorticoids apparently also regulate Ca(2+) transport by direct action, indirect mechanism mediated by the increase of renal 1,25(OH)2D3 production, or both. Different physiological conditions, such as growth, pregnancy, lactation, and aging, adjust intestinal Ca(2+) absorption according to Ca(2+) demands. Better knowledge of the molecular details of intestinal Ca(2+) absorption could lead to the development of nutritional and medical strategies for optimizing the efficiency of intestinal Ca(2+) absorption and preventing osteoporosis and other pathologies related to Ca(2+) metabolism.

Effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania mexicana.

The most active metabolite of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D3 is a steroid hormone implicated in a wide range of cell functions such as differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Leishmania mexicana causes two kinds of cutaneous leishmaniasis: localized or diffuse. In this work we explored the effect of treatment of 1,25(OH)2D3 on a susceptible leishmaniasis mice model. A significant reduction in the lesion size was found in animals treated with 1,25(OH)2D3. Well preserved tissue and presence of large numbers of eosinophils and fibroblasts was found in the group treated with 1,25(OH)2D3. By contrast, destroyed epidermis was observed with large amount of neutrophils and epithelioid macrophages, on infected groups without 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment. The production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in mice infected and treated with 1,25(OH)2D3 was lower than the animals infected without 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment. Interestingly, there were no differences in the number of parasites in both groups. Finally, the amount of collagen was higher in animals with treatment compare with animals without 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment. In summary, mice treated with 1,25 (OH) 2D3 reflect a healing process without elimination of L. mexicana.