Abstract
Background: Vitamin D deficiency is an emerging health problem. Some ethnic/religious groups are exposed to life-long vitamin D deficiency, beginning in utero.
Aims: To investigate the effect of life-long vitamin D deficiency in adult rats on myocardial capillarisation, cardiac function and the susceptibility to ischemia/reperfusion injury.
Methods: Four week old Sprague-Dawley female rats were fed either a vitamin D deplete or vitamin D-replete (control) diet for 6 weeks prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy and throughout lactation. Offspring remained on their respective diets until adulthood. Hearts of 16 week old vitamin D deficient and control rats (n = 8/group) were mounted on a Langendorff apparatus and cardiac function and the response to ischemia/reperfusion assessed. In separate cohorts myocardial capillarisation was quantified using stereological techniques.
Results: Basal and stimulated heart function was not altered, although coronary flow was significantly reduced (p = 0.007) in vitamin D deficient rats. Strikingly, infarct area was 2-fold greater in vitamin D deficient hearts of both males and females (p = 0.006 & p = 0.03, respectively). Myocardial vascularisation was not different between the groups.
Conclusion: Hearts of vitamin D deficient rats were particularly susceptible to ischemia/reperfusion injury. Dysregulation of coronary flow is likely contributing to the increased susceptibility of ischemia/reperfusion injury, but this is not attributed to myocardial vascularisation.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gezmish, O., Parkington, H., Tare, M. et al. Life-Long Vitamin D Deficiency, Commencing in Utero, Affects Cardiac Function and Increases the Susceptibility to Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Adulthood. Pediatr Res 70 (Suppl 5), 799 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2011.1024
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2011.1024