Role of Vitamin D Beyond the Skeletal Function: A Review of the Molecular and Clinical Studies

Clinical studies and meta-analyzes have shown that reduced levels of 25 (OH) D in the blood contribute to impaired immunity and stimulate excessive inflammation that adversely affects the health of children: the risk of developing bronchial asthma (BA), obstructive bronchitis, and allergic rhinitis increases. The main purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature data on the relationship between vitamin D, VRI and other infectious diseases with a clinical example.

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N-Acetyl Cysteine and Vitamin D Supplementation in Treatment Resistant Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Patients: A General Review

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612824666180417124919 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (17) ◽

pp. 1832-1838 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Flavia di Michele ◽

Alberto Siracusano ◽

Alessandra Talamo ◽

Cinzia Niolu

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽

Clinical Studies ◽

Specific Property ◽

Psychosocial Interventions ◽

Vitamin D Supplementation ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Compulsive Disorder ◽

Acetyl Cysteine

Objective: Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a disabling mental illness for which pharmacological and psychosocial interventions are all too often inadequate. This demonstrates the need for more targeted therapeutics. Recent preclinical and clinical studies have implicated the dysfunction of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the pathophysiology of OCD. Moreover, there are studies suggesting that neuroimmune abnormalities may play an important role in the pathogenesis of OCD. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is a safe and readily available agent that would modify the synaptic release of glutamate in subcortical brain regions via modulation of the cysteine-glutamate antiporter. The modulation of inflammatory pathways may also play a role in the benefits seen following NAC treatment. Therefore NAC can be considered a neuroprotective agent. Methods: This paper explores the role of NAC in the treatment of OCD conditions refractory to first-line pharmacological interventions, reviewing the clinical studies published in the last decade. Results: The possible benefit mechanisms of NAC for this disorder will be discussed, as well as the role of vitamin D supplementation, given its specific property of stimulating the formation of glutathione in the brain. Conclusion: Nutraceutical supplementation in treatment resistance OCD may be important not only for improving obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, but also from a psychological perspective, given its better acceptance by the patients compared to pharmacological treatment.

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Vitamin D and reproductive health

Problems of Endocrinology ◽

10.14341/probl12468 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 66 (5) ◽

pp. 96-101

Author(s):

I. V. Gorelova ◽

P. V. Popova ◽

M. V. Rulev

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Vitamin D Deficiency ◽

Pregnancy Rate ◽

Clinical Studies ◽

Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽

Reproductive Technologies ◽

Male Rats ◽

Vitamin D Levels

Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in women with infertility is more common than in the population. However, we still do not know the exact mechanisms for the participation of vitamin D in the regulation of reproductive function. The purpose of this study is to analyze actual literature data on the role of vitamin D in the regulation of reproductive system and its influence on using of assisted reproductive technologies for the treatment of infertility. A search was carried out for literary sources published in the NSBI database PubMed, Medline, and others with a search depth of up to 20 years. 135 sources on this topic were studied, of which 54 were included in the analysis. The review presents data obtained in animal studies, in vitro and in clinical studies. Thus, the absence of vitamin D resulted in a dramatical decrease in fertility in both female and male rats and mice, due to the development of hypocalcemia. In vitro studies describe its involvement in the receptive transformation of the endometrium and in the regulation of the immune response during embryo implantation. However, clinical studies often show conflicting results. There is no unequivocal data on the effect of vitamin D levels on spermogram parameters, but a decrease in the pregnancy rate was shown when ovulation was induced in pairs, where a vitamin D deficiency was revealed in men. A meta-analysis published in 2017 showed a decrease in the pregnancy and live birth rate in women with low levels of vitamin D after the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). It was not possible to establish whether this decrease depends on oocyte quality or endometrium. There is an opportunity that the effect of vitamin D deficiency on fertility will not come with all forms of infertility. For example, in women with anovulation due to polycystic ovary syndrome, vitamin D deficiency is demonstrated to decrease pregnancy rate in ovulation induction cycles and in ART. Such relationship was not found in women with unexplained infertility.Thus, the role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of infertility requires further study, as well as the possibilities of therapy in order to increase the effectiveness of infertility treatment methods and assisted reproductive technology programs.

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The Role of Vitamin D as a Prognostic Marker in Papillary Thyroid Cancer

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13143516 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 3516

Author(s):

Ashank Bains ◽

Taha Mur ◽

Nathan Wallace ◽

Jacob Pieter Noordzij

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Thyroid Cancer ◽

Prognostic Marker ◽

Clinical Studies ◽

Cancer Staging ◽

Vitamin D Status ◽

Papillary Thyroid ◽

Prognostic Role ◽

The Past

The role of vitamin D in modulating several cancer-related pathways has received an increasing amount of attention in the past several years. Previous literature has found an abundance of evidence of vitamin D exerting an anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, and pro-differentiation effect in various types of cancers including breast, colon, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. Although the link between vitamin D and thyroid cancer remains controversial, both biochemical evidence and clinical studies have attempted to establish a link between papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and vitamin D status. Furthermore, the use of vitamin D as a prognostic marker has received increased attention, both in regards to clinical outcomes and cancer staging. In this review, we briefly discuss the metabolism and proposed mechanism of action of vitamin D in the context of PTC, and explore links between modulators in the vitamin D pathway and progression of PTC. We provide evidence from both clinical studies as well as molecular studies of metabolic targets, including vitamin D receptor and activating enzymes exerting an effect on PTC tissue, which indicate that vitamin D may play a significant prognostic role in PTC.

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The role of vitamin D in metabolic and reproductive disturbances of polycystic ovary syndrome: A narrative mini-review

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research ◽

10.1024/0300-9831/a000691 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Daniela Menichini ◽

Gianpiero Forte ◽

Beatrice Orrù ◽

Giuseppe Gullo ◽

Vittorio Unfer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ◽

Embryo Quality ◽

Polycystic Ovary ◽

Vitamin D Supplementation ◽

Endometrial Receptivity ◽

Metabolic Disturbances ◽

Ovary Syndrome ◽

Beneficial Role

Abstract. Vitamin D is a secosteroid hormone that plays a pivotal role in several metabolic and reproductive pathways in humans. Increasing evidence supports the role of vitamin D deficiency in metabolic disturbances and infertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Indeed, supplementation with vitamin D seems to have a beneficial role on insulin resistance and endometrial receptivity. On the other hand, exceedingly high levels of vitamin D appear to play a detrimental role on oocytes development and embryo quality. In the current review, we summarize the available evidence about the topic, aiming to suggest the best supplementation strategy in women with PCOS or, more generally, in those with metabolic disturbances and infertility. Based on the retrieved data, vitamin D seems to have a beneficial role on IR, insulin sensitivity and endometrial receptivity, but high levels and incorrect timing of administration seem to have a detrimental role on oocytes development and embryo quality. Therefore, we encourage a low dose supplementation (400–800 IU/day) particularly in vitamin D deficient women that present metabolic disturbances like PCOS. As far as the reproductive health, we advise vitamin D supplementation in selected populations, only during specific moments of the ovarian cycle, to support the luteal phase. However, ambiguities about dosage and timing of the supplementation still emerge from the clinical studies published to date and further studies are required.

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