Authors:
Foong RE, Shaw NC, Berry LJ, Hart PH, Gorman S, Zosky GR
Authors notes:
Physiological reports 2014;2(3):e00276
Keywords:
Airway hyperresponsiveness, airway smooth muscle, lung structure, mouse model vitamin D
Abstract:
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with disease severity in asthma.
We tested whether there is a causal association between vitamin D deficiency, airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass, and the development of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR).
Eight-week-old adult vitamin D-deficient female mice had significantly increased airway resistance and ASM in the large airways compared with controls.
Vitamin D-deficient female mice had a smaller lung volume, volume of parenchyma, and alveolar septa.
Both vitamin D-deficient male and female mice had reduced TGF-beta levels in BALF.
Vitamin D deficiency did not have an effect on ASM density in E17.5 mice, however, expression of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta receptor I was downregulated in vitamin D-deficient female fetal mice.
Decreased expression of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta receptor I during early lung development in vitamin D-deficient mice may contribute to airway remodeling and AHR in vitamin D-deficient adult female mice.
This study provides a link between vitamin D deficiency and respiratory symptoms in chronic lung disease.