Vitamin D Depletion in Pregnancy Decreases Survival Time, Oxygen Saturation, Lung Weight and Body Weight in Preterm Rat Offspring

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 8; p. e0155203
• Main Authors: Lykkedegn, Sine, Sorensen, Grith Lykke, Beck-Nielsen, Signe Sparre, Pilecki, Bartosz, Duelund, Lars, Marcussen, Niels, Christesen, Henrik Thybo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 29-08-2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D; Animals; Biology and Life Sciences; Birth weight; Body weight; Body Weight - physiology; Cesarean section; Childbirth & labor; Depletion; Diet; Female; Fetuses; Food and nutrition; Gene expression; Health sciences; Homeostasis; Hospitals; Laboratories; Lung - metabolism; Lung - physiology; Lungs; Male; Mating; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolism; Metabolites; Neonates; Nutrition research; Offspring; Organ Size - physiology; Oxygen; Oxygen - metabolism; Oxygen content; Oxygen saturation; Oxygenation; Phospholipids; Physical sciences; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Placenta; Pregnancy; Pregnant women; Premature birth; Premature Birth - blood; Premature Birth - physiopathology; Protein A; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Respiratory distress syndrome; Rodents; Smooth muscle; Studies; Surfactant protein A; Surfactants; Survival; Ultrasonic imaging; Ventilators; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - physiopathology; Vitamin D receptors; Vitamin deficiency; Weight reduction; Denmark
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155203

Animal studies suggest a role of vitamin D in fetal lung development although not studied in preterm animals. We tested the hypothesis that vitamin D depletion aggravates respiratory insufficiency in preterm rat offspring. Furthermore, the effects of vitamin D depletion on growth and lung surfactant were investigated. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned low vitamin D (VDL) or control diet before mating and followed with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (s-25(OH)D) determinations. After cesarean section at gestational day 19 (E19) or day 22 (E22), placental weight, birth weight, crown-rump-length (CRL), oxygenation (SaO2) at 30 min and survival time were recorded. The pup lungs were analyzed for phospholipid levels, surfactant protein A-D mRNA and the expression of the vitamin D receptor (VDR). S-25(OH)D was significantly lower in the VDL group at cesarean section (12 vs. 30nmol/L, p<0.0001). Compared to the controls, E19 VDL pups had lower birth weight (2.13 vs. 2.29g, p<0.001), lung weight (0.09 vs. 0.10g, p = 0.002), SaO2 (54% vs. 69%, p = 0.002) as well as reduced survival time (0.50 vs. 1.25h, p<0.0001). At E22, the VDL-induced pulmonary differences were leveled out, but VDL pups had lower CRL (4.0 vs. 4.5cm, p<0.0001). The phospholipid levels and the surfactant protein mRNA expression did not differ between the dietary groups. In conclusion, Vitamin D depletion led to lower oxygenation and reduced survival time in the preterm offspring, associated with reduced lung weight and birth weight. Further studies of vitamin D depletion in respiratory insufficiency in preterm neonates are warranted.