Effect of Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation on Immune & Inflammatory Responses of Adipose Tissue in Obese Male Albino Rats

Document Type : Original Article

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The Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo* and New Giza** Universities

Abstract

Background: Obesity is one of the most important health challenges that causes several complications and low-grade chronic inflammation. Aim of Study: The present study aimed to investigate the possible effects of vitamin D supplementation with or with-out added calcium on; obesity indices, obesity-induced insu-lin resistance, resident immune cells and local inflammatory response. Material and Methods: Thirty-two adult male Wistar al-bino rats were assigned into 2 groups: 1) The Control group, and 2) Obesity group. Obesity was induced by the administra-tion of a high-fat diet (HFD) for four weeks. Obesity was con-firmed by BMI. Vitamin D and calcium were supplemented to the obesity subgroups (2B,2C) for 4 weeks. At the end of the study, epididymal adipose tissue was collected and weighed. Serum active vitamin D, fasting insulin and glucose levels were measured, HOMA-IR was calculated then lipase enzyme gene expression, Uncoupling protein UCP2 gene expression, tumour necrosis factor-alpha: (TNF-α), Interleukin-6 (IL6), IL 10 and resident CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes were measured in adi-pose tissue. Results: Vitamin D supplementation causes a significant decrease in BMI, weight gain, epididymal fat weight, fasting serum glucose and insulin levels, insulin resistance, adipose tissue TNF-alpha, IL-6 and CD8 T cells but no effect on CD4 T cells was observed compared to subgroup 2A. However, it yielded a significant increase of adipose tissue UCP-2 and lipase enzyme gene expression, IL-10 and serum vitamin D levels. Co-supplementation of calcium together with vitamin D causes significant improvement in obesity indices, adipose tis-sue UCP2 and lipase enzyme gene expression as well as IL10 compared to vitamin D alone supplementation. However, no added difference was observed in other measured parameters. Conclusion: Co-supplementation of vitamin D with calci-um could have a synergistic effect. on reducing body weight and combatting obesity-induced insulin resistance, adipose tis-sue inflammation and immune disorders.

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