bims-vitmet 2025-05-25 papers

Issue of 2025–05–25
five papers selected by
Onurkan Karabulut, Berkeley City College

Biol Pharm Bull. 2025 ;48(5): 632-640

Supplementing with Vitamin D during Pregnancy Reduces Inflammation and Prevents Autism-Related Behaviors in Offspring Caused by Maternal Immune Activation.

Xiao Wang, Qingqing Li, Zhihong Lyu, Yingying Wu.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder of unknown etiology with limited treatment options, has emerged as a significant public health concern. Studies have demonstrated that prenatal vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for ASD development in offspring; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this project, vitamin D was administered orally to pregnant mice with/without the subsequent administration of polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid (Poly(I:C)), which induced the maternal immune activation (MIA). Our results showed that vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy alleviated MIA-induced ASD-like behaviors in offspring. Moreover, vitamin D supplementation reduced the MIA-induced elevation of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-17a levels in both the maternal ileum and fetal brains. It also suppressed signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) activation and the elevated expression of serum amyloid A1 and A2 (SAA1/2) in the ileum of MIA-affected pregnant mice. This study revealed that vitamin D may reduce the expression of IL-17a by inhibiting the IL-6/Stat3/SAA signaling pathway, thereby improving ASD-like behavior in offspring mice, and provide a new theoretical support for the prevention and treatment of ASD by scientific dietary interventions and nutritional supplement during pregnancy.

Keywords: anti-inflammation; autism; maternal immune activation; serum amyloid; vitamin D

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.b25-00008

Cureus. 2025 Apr;17(4): e82495

Association Between Vitamin D and Musculoskeletal Injuries: A Systematic Review.

Nader Maai, Florian A Frank, Arthur Meuris, Nando Ferreira.

It is generally accepted that the maintenance of the health of the musculoskeletal system is highly dependent on vitamin D. However, the relationship between vitamin D levels and the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries is still uncertain. This systematic review aimed to summarize the available information on the association between vitamin D levels and musculoskeletal injuries. Seven electronic databases were searched using Boolean operators to link MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) terms and free text phrases. This improved the sensitivity and specificity of the search results. Studies investigating the association between vitamin D status and musculoskeletal damage were included. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies reported an increased prevalence amongst individuals with low vitamin D levels and musculoskeletal symptoms or injury. This underlines the important role of vitamin D screening and supplementation. Some studies have associated certain vitamin D metabolites with injury occurrence, suggesting that levels and balance of these metabolites may influence injury risk. However, there have been conflicting results on the effect of vitamin D supplementation on muscle function and exercise-induced muscle injury, with some studies failing to find any significant changes. Consistent evidence has demonstrated the benefits of vitamin D supplementation in reducing the incidence of stress fractures in athletes. One study suggests that genetic variations may influence how vitamin D is related to musculoskeletal health. The reviewed studies revealed a complex relationship between the vitamin D status and musculoskeletal injuries. While low vitamin D levels were consistently observed, the effects of supplementation on various musculoskeletal outcomes varied. These findings emphasize the need for further research to better understand the underlying mechanisms and to develop targeted interventions for specific populations, considering factors such as vitamin D metabolites, supplementation dosage, and genetic variations.

Keywords: athletic performance; muscle function; musculoskeletal injuries; stress fractures; supplementation; vitamin d

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.82495

Immun Ageing. 2025 May 19. 22(1): 20

Gut-vitamin D interplay: key to mitigating immunosenescence and promoting healthy ageing.

Hammad Ullah.

BACKGROUND: Immunosenescence is the loss and change of immunological organs, as well as innate and adaptive immune dysfunction with ageing, which can lead to increased sensitivity to infections, age-related diseases, and cancer. Emerging evidence highlights the role of gut-vitamin D axis in the regulation of immune ageing, influencing chronic inflammation and systemic health. This review aims to explore the interplay between the gut microbiota and vitamin D in mitigating immunosenescence and preventing against chronic inflammation and age-related diseases.
MAIN TEXT: Gut microbiota dysbiosis and vitamin D insufficiency accelerate immunosenescence and risk of chronic diseases. Literature data reveal that vitamin D modulates gut microbiota diversity and composition, enhances immune resilience, and reduce systemic inflammation. Conversely, gut microbiota influences vitamin D metabolism to promote the synthesis of active vitamin D metabolites with implications for immune health.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the potential of targeting gut-vitamin D axis to modulate immune responses, delay the immune ageing, and mitigate age-related diseases. Further research is needed to integrate vitamin D supplementation and microbiome modulation into strategies aimed at promoting healthy ageing.

Keywords: Gut microbiota; Healthy ageing; Immune ageing; Immunosenescence; Vitamin D

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12979-025-00514-y

J Gene Med. 2025 May;27(5): e70022

Exploring the Links Between Micronutrients and Cardiac Traits: Roles of Vitamins A1, B9, and D.

Lingwei Liu, Yongxi Cheng, Shujun Yan, Jian Zhou.

OBJECTIVE: Micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, are essential for cardiac health, but their effects on cardiac structure and function remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the causal impact of micronutrients on cardiac traits through Mendelian randomization (MR).
METHODS: A two-sample MR approach was employed to assess the causal effects between 14 micronutrients and 98 cardiac traits from various consortia and cohorts. Inverse variance-weighted (IVW) MR analyses were conducted, alongside a range of sensitivity analyses to confirm robustness. Both exposure and outcome populations were of European descent.
RESULTS: Significant associations were found for Vitamins A1, B9, and D with various cardiac traits. Vitamin D was linked to reduced left ventricular end-diastolic myocardial wall thickness (IVW β: -0.16; 95% CI: -0.29 to -0.03; p = 0.01) and increased regional longitudinal and radial strains of the left ventricle (IVW β: 0.19; p = 0.03; IVW β: 0.17; p = 0.04). Vitamin A1 was associated with reduced left ventricular mass (IVW β: -10.23; p = 0.03; IVW β: -13.72; p = 0.007), both with and without body surface area and blood pressure adjustments. Vitamin B9 was associated with reductions in left ventricular mass (IVW β: -0.09; p = 0.04), myocardial wall thickness (IVW β: -0.13; p = 0.04), and ascending aorta maximum area (IVW β: -0.19; p = 0.01). No significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was observed.
CONCLUSIONS: Vitamins A1, B9, and D exhibit beneficial effects on cardiac structure and function, offering potential targets for nutritional intervention in at-risk populations.

Keywords: Mendelian randomization; cardiac traits; micronutrient; mineral; vitamin

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jgm.70022

J Nutr Biochem. 2025 May 21. pii: S0955-2863(25)00127-5. [Epub ahead of print] 109964

Impact of fish oil supplement on brain lipids profile in ApoE-/- mice and C57BL/6J mice treated with diets containing different dosage of vitamin E.

Lu Liu, Xiaochen Huang, Jingjing Xu, Xixiang Wang, Yu Liu, Xiuwen Ren, Chi Zhang, Ying Wang, Yueyong Wang, Shaobo Zhou, Linhong Yuan.

The study was designed to explore the impact of fish oil supplement on the brain lipids profile in ApoE-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice and wild-type C57BL/6J (C57 wt) mice treated with diets containing varying dosage of vitamin E (VE). Compared to C57 wt mice, ApoE-/- mice exhibited increased cortical TC and LDL-C levels, but decreased HDL-C level (P < 0.05). The fish oil intervention, combined with low dietary VE intake resulted in increased cortical protein expression of CD36 and PPARγ in C57 wt mice. PI (36:5) was identified as a significantly different metabolite when compared to the control group in both C57 wt and ApoE-/- mice. The combination of fish oil and varying doses of VE had different effects on the expression of brain lipids and fatty acid transporters in ApoE-/- and C57 wt mice, indicating that ApoE status and dietary VE intake influence the responses of the cerebral lipids profile to fish oil supplementation.

Keywords: ApoE-/-; dosage of VE; fish oil; lipid metabolism

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2025.109964