Preclinical study of vitamin D deficiency in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of vitamin D deficiency (VD-) in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome (MetS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Models of (VD-) and (MetS) were induced in male Wister rats by dividing into four groups, group-I for the development of (VD-) by intraperitoneal injection of paricalcitol for 3 weeks, group II for (MetS) model by adding 10% fructose to their drinking water for 8 weeks, the group III for induction of combined (VD- + MetS) and group-IV as a control. Ultimately, the parameters of (VD-) and (MetS) were assessed at zero time and after 8 weeks. RESULTS: Both (VD-) and (MetS) groups alone displayed a remarkable enhancement of blood pressure, glucose and insulin levels, triglycerides, cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins with a reduction of high-density lipoproteins. Additionally, all distinguishing features of obesity were substantially increased. Nevertheless, the combined group (VD-+MetS) demonstrated an expeditious and substantial increase in all the aforesaid parameters compared to the (VD-) and (MetS) groups alone. CONCLUSIONS: The hallmark of this study, reinforces a new frontier of awareness of the deleterious effect of (VD-) on each component of (MetS). Eventually, supplementation of vitamin D can circumvent the elements of (MetS) and needs further validation by determination of (VD-) molecular pathway on the parameters of (MetS).

Pharmacological basis of the putative therapeutic effect of Topical Vitamin D3 on the experimental model of atopic dermatitis in mice.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to explore the effect of topical vitamin D3 in atopic dermatitis (AD) induced by ovalbumin (OVA) in contrast with topical betamethasone in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 35 BALB/c adult male mice, weighing between 25-30 gm were used to induce AD by topically sensitizing the dorsal surface of the skin with the OVA patch. Subsequently, treatments were performed in each group by application of vitamin D3 cream (0.0003%), betamethasone cream (0.1%), or vehicles (QV cream) on the skin. RESULTS: Remarkably, vitamin D3 had a marked improvement in the skin of OVA-induced AD mice. Additionally, vitamin D3 revealed a considerable diminution in the levels of IgE, IL-5, filaggrin, and epidermal thickness, whereas a significant augmentation in the levels of IL-4 and IL-13 was observed when compared with the control group, and histopathological studies had further confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS: This study essentially highlighted the anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin D3 by effective alteration in the immunological components responsible for AD. Moreover, this pioneer experimental work represents a new paradigm and sheds a light on the importance of vitamin D3 in the implications of AD. A comprehensive creative approach is crucial to concretely establish and further corroborate vitamin D3 for this therapeutic role.

Acute West Nile Virus Meningoencephalitis Diagnosed Via Metagenomic Deep Sequencing of Cerebrospinal Fluid in a Renal Transplant Patient.

Solid organ transplant patients are vulnerable to suffering neurologic complications from a wide array of viral infections and can be sentinels in the population who are first to get serious complications from emerging infections like the recent waves of arboviruses, including West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, Zika virus, and Dengue virus. The diverse and rapidly changing landscape of possible causes of viral encephalitis poses great challenges for traditional candidate-based infectious disease diagnostics that already fail to identify a causative pathogen in approximately 50% of encephalitis cases. We present the case of a 14-year-old girl on immunosuppression for a renal transplant who presented with acute meningoencephalitis. Traditional diagnostics failed to identify an etiology. RNA extracted from her cerebrospinal fluid was subjected to unbiased metagenomic deep sequencing, enhanced with the use of a Cas9-based technique for host depletion. This analysis identified West Nile virus (WNV). Convalescent serum serologies subsequently confirmed WNV seroconversion. These results support a clear clinical role for metagenomic deep sequencing in the setting of suspected viral encephalitis, especially in the context of the high-risk transplant patient population.