scholarly journals Evolution, Prehistory and Vitamin D

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 646
Author(s):  
Paul Jarrett ◽  
Robert Scragg
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Ultraviolet Light ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Northern Latitudes ◽  
Sweat Production ◽  
Subsequent Loss ◽  
Ultraviolet Damage ◽  
Eccrine Sweat

Aspects of human evolutionary biology and prehistory are discussed in relation to vitamin D. The evolution of hairlessness, combined with the need for efficient eccrine sweat production for cooling, provided evolutionary pressure to protect the skin from ultraviolet damage by developing cutaneous pigmentation. There was a subsequent loss of pigmentation as humans journeyed to northern latitudes. Their increasing mastery of technology outstripped evolution’s finite pace as further dispersal occurred around the globe. A timeline for the development of clothing to provide warmth, and the consequent shielding from ultraviolet light, which diminished vitamin D synthesis, can be inferred by an examination of mutations in the human louse.

The influence of acridine dyes and caffeine on recovery from ultraviolet damage in Eudorina elegans

1975 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 1849-1854 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. Kemp ◽  
K. M. Malloy
Keyword(s):  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Acridine Orange ◽  
Ultraviolet Light ◽  
Ultraviolet Irradiation ◽  
Repair Process ◽  
Repair System ◽  
Acridine Dyes ◽  
Dark Survival ◽  
High Doses ◽  
Ultraviolet Damage

Caffeine and the acridine dyes, acridine orange and acriflavine, were used to examine the repair potential in Eudorina elegans following ultraviolet irradiation. Acridines blocked photoreactivation primarily as a result of absorption of photoreactivating wavelengths, but acridines did not influence dark survival. Therefore, an acridine-sensitive excision–resynthesis–repair process is absent in Eudorina.Caffeine decreased both dark and light survival, the latter only after relatively high doses of ultraviolet light were used for inactivation. The caffeine-sensitive repair process appears to function most actively when the organisms are engaged in DNA synthesis, indicating that a postreplication–repair system exists in Eudorina. However, the data suggest that a repair system not associated with the DNA synthetic phases may also exist.

scholarly journals Vitamin D Status and Components of Metabolic Syndrome in Older Subjects from Northern Finland (Latitude 65°North)

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivaprakash Jagalur Mutt ◽  
Jari Jokelainen ◽  
Sylvain Sebert ◽  
Juha Auvinen ◽  
Marjo-Riitta Järvelin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Vitamin D Status ◽  
Endocrine Society ◽  
Northern Latitudes ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Vitamin D Levels ◽  
Older Subjects

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the increased risk of several chronic diseases, especially in people living in the Northern Latitudes. The aim of this study was to assess the vitamin D status in older subjects born in 1945 in Northern Finland (latitude 65°North), and to examine its associations to components of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we invited 904 subjects born in 1945 from the Oulu region (Oulu45 cohort), out of an original cohort of 1332 subjects. In the cohort, plasma 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels were determined by an enzyme immunoassay of 263 men and 373 women, with a mean age baseline of 69±0.5 years old. We assessed the participants’ usage of vitamin D supplements, as well as their lifestyle factors, using a questionnaire. Results: Nearly 80% of the subjects had low vitamin D levels [either vitamin D deficient (<50 nmol/L) or insufficient (50 – 75 nmol/L)], and only 20% of the participants had sufficient vitamin D levels (>75 nmol/L) (based on the American Endocrine Society guidelines). The low vitamin D status was associated with a high prevalence of MetS; a significantly higher number of subjects with MetS (41%) had low vitamin D levels in comparison to the non-MetS subjects (38%) (p ≤ 0.05). The subjects under vitamin D supplementation had a significantly lower incidence of MetS (42.6% vs 57.4%) and its components in comparison to the non-supplemented subjects (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: Low vitamin D levels are a risk factor for MetS amongst other lifestyle factors, such as dietary habits and physical inactivity, among older subjects in the Northern Latitudes (65°North). Optimal supplementation of vitamin D, along with rich dietary sources of vitamin D, are highly recommended for older subjects as a means to positively affect, e.g., hypertension, insulin resistance, and obesity, as components of the MetS.

Protection from Ultraviolet Damage and Photocarcinogenesis by Vitamin D Compounds

2014 ◽  
pp. 303-328
Author(s):  
Clare Gordon-Thomson ◽  
Wannit Tongkao-on ◽  
Eric J. Song ◽  
Sally E. Carter ◽  
Katie M. Dixon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Ultraviolet Damage

Vitamin D deficiency and exercise-induced laryngospasm in young competitive rowers

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 735-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Heffler ◽  
Matteo Bonini ◽  
Luisa Brussino ◽  
Paolo Solidoro ◽  
Giuseppe Guida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Parathyroid Hormone ◽  
Vitamin D Deficiency ◽  
Muscle Relaxation ◽  
Forced Expiratory Volume ◽  
Northern Latitudes ◽  
Vitamin D Levels ◽  
Eucapnic Voluntary Hyperventilation ◽  
Exercise Induced ◽  
Age Range

Exercise-induced dyspnea is common among adolescents and young adults and often originates from exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). Sometimes, dyspnea corresponds to exercise-induced laryngospasm (EILO), which is a paradoxical decrease in supraglottic/glottic area. Vitamin D deficiency, which occurs frequently at northern latitudes, might favor laryngospasm by impairing calcium transport and slowing striate muscle relaxation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether vitamin D status has an influence on bronchial and laryngeal responses to exercise in young, healthy athletes. EIB and EILO were investigated during winter in 37 healthy competitive rowers (24 males; age range 13–25 years), using the eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation test (EVH). EIB was diagnosed when forced expiratory volume in the first second decreased by 10%, EILO when maximum mid-inspiratory flow (MIF50) decreased by 20%. Most athletes (86.5%) had vitamin D deficiency (below 30 ng/mL), 29 mild-moderate (78.4%) and 3 severe (8.1%). EVH showed EIB in 10 subjects (27%), EILO in 16 (43.2%), and combined EIB and EILO in 6 (16.2%). Athletes with EILO had lower vitamin D (19.1 ng/mL vs. 27.0 ng/mL, p < 0.001) and higher parathyroid hormone (30.5 pg/mL vs. 19.2 pg/mL, p = 0.006) levels. The degree of laryngoconstriction (post-EVH MIF50 as a percentage of pre-EVH MIF50) was related directly with vitamin D levels (r = 0.51; p = 0.001) and inversely with parathyroid hormone levels (r = –0.53; p = 0.001). We conclude that vitamin D deficiency is common during winter in young athletes living above the 40th parallel north and favors laryngospasm during exercise, probably by disturbing calcium homeostasis. This effect may negatively influence athletic performance.

Effect of Jaundice on the Plasma 25-Hydroxy-Vitamin D Response to Ultraviolet Light in the Rat

1980 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 27P-28P
Author(s):  
R. G. Long ◽  
J. M. Barragry ◽  
P. Mitchenere ◽  
M. S. Beer ◽  
B. J. Boucher
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Ultraviolet Light ◽  
25 Hydroxy Vitamin D
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