FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / A single bout of high-intensity exercise modulates the expre...
Equine veterinary journal2020; 53(4); 796-805; doi: 10.1111/evj.13346

A single bout of high-intensity exercise modulates the expression of vitamin D receptor and vitamin D-metabolising enzymes in horse skeletal muscle.

Abstract: The expressions of vitamin D receptor (VDR) and vitamin D-metabolising enzymes (CYP27B1 and CYP24A1) in skeletal muscle have been reported. However, the regulation of this vitamin D system in horse skeletal muscle after high-intensity exercise has not yet been elucidated. Objective: To investigate the effect of high-intensity exercise on the expression of vitamin D system-related proteins in horse skeletal muscle and its associations with skeletal muscle stem cell (SMSC) activity and serum 25(OH)D level. Methods: Longitudinal study. Methods: Six healthy ponies (5 geldings, 1 mare; age 6.3 ± 2.2 years) were studied. Serum and muscle samples were taken from the jugular vein and gluteus medius respectively. Samples were collected at pre-exercise, post-exercise, 1 and 3 weeks after a single bout of high-intensity exercise. Protein expression levels of VDR, CYP27B1, CYP24A1, OxPhos and Pax7 (SMSC marker) were determined using immunohistochemical analysis. Oxidative capacity and intramuscular glycogen content were evaluated using histochemical analysis. Blood biochemistry was analysed for lactate concentration and creatine kinase (CK), and 25(OH)D activity. Results: High-intensity exercise significantly upregulated Pax7 and VDR protein expression, which correlated with significantly increased blood lactate and serum CK levels immediately post-exercise. Serum 25(OH)D2 level correlated with CYP27B1 protein expression in skeletal muscle, and it reduced significantly immediately post-exercise and at 1 and 3 weeks post-exercise. However, CYP24A1 protein expression was unchanged throughout study periods. Conclusions: The healthy ponies could not represent a fit population of racehorses and eventers. Conclusions: The rapid increase in Pax7 and VDR protein expression along with serum CK level after high-intensity exercise demonstrated an association between SMSC activity and activation of the vitamin D system in response to muscle injury in horses. Moreover, a decrease in CYP27B1 protein expression, correlated with a reduction in serum 25(OH)D2 , may indicate a compromised vitamin D metabolism after high-intensity exercise.
© 2020 EVJ Ltd.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2020-09-28 PubMed ID: 32902017DOI: 10.1111/evj.13346Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article investigates the impact of high-intensity exercise on the expression of proteins related to the vitamin D system in horse skeletal muscle and the relationship with muscle stem cell activity and vitamin D levels in the blood.

Objective of Study

  • The study aims to explore the influence of strenuous exercise on the protein expression of the vitamin D system in horse skeletal muscle.
  • It also delves into the relationship of this modulation with the operation of skeletal muscle stem cells (SMSCs) and the concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D or 25(OH)D in the blood, which is a general measure of vitamin D status.

Methods Employed

  • The study uses a longitudinal design, where six healthy ponies were subjected to a single session of high-intensity exercise.
  • Post-exercise, the researchers took serum and muscle samples from these horses at specific times: immediately after and 1 and 3 weeks later.
  • The levels of specific proteins associated with vitamin D metabolism and activity in the skeletal muscle, including Vitamin D Receptor, CYP24A1, CYP27B1, OxPhos, and Pax7 (a marker for SMSCs), were assessed.
  • They also examined the oxidative capacity and glycogen content within the muscle using histochemical analysis, and the concentrations of lactate and creatine kinase (CK), a marker of muscle damage, in the blood.

Outcomes of the Study

  • Following the exercise, the expression of Pax7 and VDR proteins significantly rose, coinciding with increased lactate and CK levels in the blood.
  • The level of 25(OH)D in the blood fell immediately after the exercise and remained low after 1 and 3 weeks, correlating with a decline in CYP27B1 protein expression, while the level of CYP24A1 protein did not change.

Interpretation and Conclusion

  • The study suggests that high-intensity exercise triggers a response in horse skeletal muscle that involves an increase in the activity of SMSCs and activation of the vitamin D system, as seen by increases in Pax7 and VDR levels.
  • The consistent reduction in serum 25(OH)D level after exercise, linked with decreased CYP27B1 protein expression, may indicate a compromised vitamin D metabolism as a result of strenuous physical activity.
  • However, it’s vital to note that the study only involved healthy ponies, so further research involving racehorses or those used for other physically demanding work is necessary to broaden these findings.

Cite This Article

APA
Puangthong C, Sukhong P, Saengnual P, Srikuea R, Chanda M. (2020). A single bout of high-intensity exercise modulates the expression of vitamin D receptor and vitamin D-metabolising enzymes in horse skeletal muscle. Equine Vet J, 53(4), 796-805. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13346

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 53
Issue: 4
Pages: 796-805

Researcher Affiliations

Puangthong, Chanikarn
  • Veterinary Clinical Studies Program, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Sukhong, Patskit
  • Department of Large Animal and Wildlife Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Saengnual, Pattrawut
  • Pathological unit, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Srikuea, Ratchakrit
  • Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Chanda, Metha
  • Department of Large Animal and Wildlife Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
  • Center of Veterinary Research and Academic Service, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University Bang Khen Campus, Bangkok, Thailand.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Female
  • Horses
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Muscle, Skeletal
  • Receptors, Calcitriol / genetics
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin D3 24-Hydroxylase

Grant Funding

  • Kasetsart University

References

This article includes 41 references
  1. DeLuca HF. Overview of general physiologic features and functions of vitamin D. Am J Clin Nutr 1689S;80:1689S-1696S.
  2. Bikle DD. Vitamin D metabolism, mechanism of action, and clinical applications. Chem Biol 2014;21:319-29.
  3. Holick MF. Vitamin D status: measurement, interpretation, and clinical application. Ann Epidemiol 2009;19:73-8.
  4. Wang T-T, Tavera-Mendoza LE, Laperriere D, Libby E, Burton MacLeod N, Nagai Y. Large-scale in silico and microarray-based identification of direct 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 target genes. Mol Endocrinol 2005;19:2685-95.
  5. Pike JW, Meyer MB, Bishop KA. Regulation of target gene expression by the vitamin D receptor-an update on mechanisms. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 2012;13:45-55.
  6. Wang Y, Zhu J, DeLuca HF. Where is the vitamin D receptor?. Arch Biochem Biophys 2012;523:123-33.
  7. Girgis CM. Vitamin D and skeletal muscle: emerging roles in development, anabolism and repair. Calcif Tissue Int 2020;106:47-57.
  8. Endo I, Inoue D, Mitsui T, Umaki Y, Akaike M, Yoshizawa T. Deletion of vitamin D receptor gene in mice results in abnormal skeletal muscle development with deregulated expression of myoregulatory transcription factors. Endocrinology 2003;144:5138-44.
  9. Makanae Y, Ogasawara R, Sato K, Takamura Y, Matsutani K, Kido K. Acute bout of resistance exercise increases vitamin D receptor protein expression in rat skeletal muscle. Exp Physiol 2015;100:1168-76.
  10. Srikuea R, Zhang X, Park-Sarge O-K, Esser KA. VDR and CYP27B1 are expressed in C2C12 cells and regenerating skeletal muscle: potential role in suppression of myoblast proliferation. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2012;303:C396-C405.
  11. Pojednic RM, Ceglia L, Lichtenstein AH, Dawson-Hughes B, Fielding RA. Vitamin D receptor protein is associated with interleukin-6 in human skeletal muscle. Endocrine 2015;49:512-20.
  12. Ceglia L, da Silva Morais M, Park LK, Morris E, Harris SS, Bischoff-Ferrari HA. Multi-step immunofluorescent analysis of vitamin D receptor loci and myosin heavy chain isoforms in human skeletal muscle. J Mol Histol 2010;41:137-42.
  13. Pojednic RM, Ceglia L, Olsson K, Gustafsson T, Lichtenstein AH, Dawson-Hughes B. Effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and vitamin D3 on the expression of the vitamin D receptor in human skeletal muscle cells. Calcif Tissue Int 2015;96:256-63.
  14. Ceglia L, Niramitmahapanya S, da Silva Morais M, Rivas DA, Harris SS, Bischoff-Ferrari H. A randomized study on the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on skeletal muscle morphology and vitamin D receptor concentration in older women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2013;98:E1927-E1935.
  15. Ceglia L. Vitamin D and skeletal muscle tissue and function. Mol Aspects Med 2008;29:407-14.
  16. Choi M, Park H, Cho S, Lee M. Vitamin D3 supplementation modulates inflammatory responses from the muscle damage induced by high-intensity exercise in SD rats. Cytokine 2013;63:27-35.
  17. Aly YE, Abdou AS, Rashad MM, Nassef MM. Effect of exercise on serum vitamin D and tissue vitamin D receptors in experimentally induced type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. J Adv Res 2016;7:671-9.
  18. Srikuea R, Hirunsai M. Effects of intramuscular administration of 1α,25 (OH)2D3 during skeletal muscle regeneration on regenerative capacity, muscular fibrosis, and angiogenesis. J Appl Physiol 2016;120:1381-93.
  19. Kawai M, Aida H, Hiraga A, Miyata H. Muscle satellite cells are activated after exercise to exhaustion in Thoroughbred horses. Equine Vet J 2013;45:512-7.
  20. Liburt N, Adams A, Betancourt A, Horohov D, McKeever K. Exercise-induced increases in inflammatory cytokines in muscle and blood of horses. Equine Vet J 2010;42:280-8.
  21. Medicine ACS. Benefit and risks associated with physical activity. In: Thompson WR, Gordon NF and Pescatello LS, editors. ACSM's guidelines for exercise testing and prescription, 8th edn. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health, 2010; p. 3-6.
  22. Chanda M, Srikuea R, Cherdchutam W, Chairoungdua A, Piyachaturawat P. Modulating effects of exercise training regimen on skeletal muscle properties in female polo ponies. BMC Vet Res 2016;12:245.
  23. Marlin DJ, Allen JC. Cardiovascular demands of competition on low-goal (non-elite) polo ponies. Equine Vet J 1999;31:378-82.
  24. Chanda M, Srikuea R, Piyachaturawat P. Semi-automated microbiopsy device: a potential tool for muscle sampling in horse. Thai J Vet Med 2016;46:569-77.
  25. Srikuea R, Symons TB, Long DE, Lee JD, Shang Y, Chomentowski PJ. Association of fibromyalgia with altered skeletal muscle characteristics which may contribute to postexertional fatigue in postmenopausal women. Arthritis Rheum 2013;65:519-28.
  26. Kocsis T, Baan J, Muller G, Mendler L, Dux L, Keller-Pinter A. Skeletal muscle cellularity and glycogen distribution in the hypermuscular Compact mice. Eur J Histochem 2014;58:2353.
  27. Rinnankoski-Tuikka R, Silvennoinen M, Torvinen S, Hulmi JJ, Lehti M, Kivela R. Effects of high-fat diet and physical activity on pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4 in mouse skeletal muscle. Nutr Metab 2012;9:53.
  28. Spurway NC. Aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise and the lactate threshold. Br Med Bull 1992;48:569-91.
  29. Anderson MG. The influence of exercise on serum enzyme levels in the horse. Equine Vet J 1975;7:160-5.
  30. Dhawan J, Rando TA. Stem cells in postnatal myogenesis: molecular mechanisms of satellite cell quiescence, activation and replenishment. Trends Cell Biol 2005;15:666-73.
  31. Hawke TJ, Garry DJ. Myogenic satellite cells: physiology to molecular biology. J Appl Physiol 2001;91:534-51.
  32. Walker DK, Fry CS, Drummond MJ, Dickinson JM, Timmerman KL, Gundermann DM. PAX7+ satellite cells in young and older adults following resistance exercise. Muscle Nerve 2012;46:51-9.
  33. Caldow MK, Thomas EE, Dale MJ, Tomkinson GR, Buckley JD, Cameron-Smith D. Early myogenic responses to acute exercise before and after resistance training in young men. Physiol Rep 2015;3:e12511.
  34. Girgis CM, Clifton-Bligh RJ, Mokbel N, Cheng K, Gunton JE. Vitamin D signaling regulates proliferation, differentiation, and myotube size in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. Endocrinology 2014;155:347-57.
  35. Altieri B, Cavalier E, Bhattoa HP, Pérez-López FR, López-Baena MT, Pérez-Roncero GR. Vitamin D testing: advantages and limits of the current assays. Eur J Clin Nutr 2020;74(2):231-47.
  36. Volmer DA, Mendes LR, Stokes CS. Analysis of vitamin D metabolic markers by mass spectrometry: current techniques, limitations of the “gold standard” method, and anticipated future directions. Mass Spectrom Rev 2015;34:2-23.
  37. Piccione G, Assenza A, Fazio F, Bergero D, Caola G. Daily rhythms of serum vitamin D-metabolites, calcium and phosphorus in horses. Acta Vet Brno 2008;77:151-7.
  38. Pozza ME, Kaewsakhorn T, Trinarong C, Inpanbutr N, Toribio RE. Serum vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus concentrations in ponies, horses and foals from the United States and Thailand. Vet J 2014;199:451-6.
  39. Swami S, Krishnan AV, Wang JY, Jensen K, Horst R, Albertelli MA. Dietary vitamin D3 and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol) exhibit equivalent anticancer activity in mouse xenograft models of breast and prostate cancer. Endocrinology 2012;153:2576-87.
  40. Bunout D, Barrera G, Leiva L, Gattas V, de la Maza MP, Avendaño M. Effects of vitamin D supplementation and exercise training on physical performance in Chilean vitamin D deficient elderly subjects. Exp Gerontol 2006;41:746-52.
  41. Diamond T, Wong Y, Golombick T. Effect of oral cholecalciferol 2,000 versus 5,000 IU on serum vitamin D, PTH, bone and muscle strength in patients with vitamin D deficiency. Osteoporosis Int 2013;24:1101-5.

Citations

This article has been cited 9 times.
  1. Khakbaz M, Moradmand Z, Ziaei R, Moradi Baniasadi M, Saneei P. Association between 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels and risk of frailty and pre-frailty in elderly adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies with GRADE assessment. J Transl Med 2025 Dec 17;23(1):1401.
    doi: 10.1186/s12967-025-07415-0pubmed: 41408560google scholar: lookup
  2. Seldeen KL, Wang N, Muthaiah R, Treanor OP, Davis AL, Chaves LD, Thiyagarajan R, Marzullo BJ, Yergeau DA, Troen BR. High-Intensity Interval Exercise Drives Vitamin D Receptor Expression in Skeletal Muscle via Recruitment of Non-Parenchymal Cells, Not Upregulation in Muscle Fibers. Nutrients 2025 Nov 28;17(23).
    doi: 10.3390/nu17233733pubmed: 41374023google scholar: lookup
  3. Talib NF, Zhu Z, Kim KS. Vitamin D3 Exerts Beneficial Effects on C2C12 Myotubes through Activation of the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR)/Sirtuins (SIRT)1/3 Axis. Nutrients 2023 Nov 7;15(22).
    doi: 10.3390/nu15224714pubmed: 38004107google scholar: lookup
  4. Książek A, Zagrodna A, Lombardi G, Słowińska-Lisowska M. Seasonal changes in free 25-(OH)D and vitamin D metabolite ratios and their relationship with psychophysical stress markers in male professional football players. Front Physiol 2023;14:1258678.
    doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1258678pubmed: 37908338google scholar: lookup
  5. Luthra NS, Christou DD, Clow A, Corcos DM. Targeting neuroendocrine abnormalities in Parkinson's disease with exercise. Front Neurosci 2023;17:1228444.
    doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1228444pubmed: 37746149google scholar: lookup
  6. Dosi MCM, Riggs CM, May J, Lee A, Cillan-Garcia E, Pagan J, McGorum BC. Thoroughbred Racehorses in Hong Kong Require Vitamin D Supplementation to Mitigate the Risk of Low Vitamin D Status. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jun 29;13(13).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13132145pubmed: 37443942google scholar: lookup
  7. Zhang J, Cao ZB. Exercise: A Possibly Effective Way to Improve Vitamin D Nutritional Status. Nutrients 2022 Jun 27;14(13).
    doi: 10.3390/nu14132652pubmed: 35807833google scholar: lookup
  8. Iolascon G, Moretti A, Paoletta M, Liguori S, Di Munno O. Muscle Regeneration and Function in Sports: A Focus on Vitamin D. Medicina (Kaunas) 2021 Sep 25;57(10).
    doi: 10.3390/medicina57101015pubmed: 34684052google scholar: lookup
  9. Latham CM, Brightwell CR, Keeble AR, Munson BD, Thomas NT, Zagzoog AM, Fry CS, Fry JL. Vitamin D Promotes Skeletal Muscle Regeneration and Mitochondrial Health. Front Physiol 2021;12:660498.
    doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.660498pubmed: 33935807google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,357 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.