Role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of atheromatosis
Erika Rimondi Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases September 11, 2020
Highlights
• The vitamin D deficiency represents a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
• The vitamin D deficiency has been correlated to atheromatosis progression.
• A model of vitamin D deficiency was fundamental to evaluate the role of the vitamin D the onset/progression of atheromatosis.
• The vitamin D deficiency was clearly involved in an early formation of atherosclerotic lesions.
• The vitamins play a potential role in the pharmacological treatments of cardiovascular disorders.
Background and Aims
Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death worldwide, but the collective efforts to prevent this pathological condition are directed exclusively to individuals at higher risk due to hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity, diabetes. Recently, vitamin D deficiency was identified as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in healthy people, as it predisposes to different vascular dysfunctions that can result in plaque development and fragility. In this scenario, the fundamental aim of the study was to reproduce a disease model inducing vitamin D deficiency and atheromatosis in ApoE-/- mice and then to evaluate the impact of this vitamin D status on the onset/progression of atheromatosis, focusing on plaque formation and instability.
Methods and Results
In our murine disease model, vitamin D deficiency was achieved by 3 weeks of vitamin D deficient diet along with intraperitoneal paricalcitol injections, while atheromatosis by western-type diet. Under these experimental conditions, vitamin D deficient mice developed more unstable atheromatous plaques with reduced or absent fibrotic cap. Since calcium and phosphorus metabolism and also cholesterol and triglycerides systemic concentration were not affected by vitamin D level, our results highlighted the role of vitamin D deficiency in the formation/instability of atheromatous plaque and, although further studies are needed, suggested a possible intervention with vitamin D to prevent or delay the atheromatous disease.
Conclusions
The data obtained open the question about the potential role of the vitamins in the pharmacological treatments of cardiovascular disorders as coadjutant of the primary drugs used for these pathologies.