Age-related changes in vitamin D metabolism and vitamin D receptor expression in equine alveolar macrophages: A preliminary study.
Abstract: The vitamin D receptor (VDR)-vitamin D axis modulates pulmonary immunity in people but its role in equine immunity is unknown. Bacterial pneumonia causes high morbidity/mortality in foals and alveolar macrophages (AMφ) are important for pulmonary defenses. Age-related variations in vitamin D-mediated function of AMφ might contribute to the foal's susceptibility to pneumonia. Our aim was to assess the impact of age on equine vitamin D metabolism and VDR expression in AMφ. AMφ and plasma was collected from healthy foals (2, 4 and 8 weeks old) and adult horses (once). AMφ VDR expression was determined via RT-qPCR and plasma vitamin D metabolites quantified via immunoassays. Data were analyzed with linear mixed models. Inactive-vitamin D metabolite concentrations were lowest in foals at 2 weeks and lower at 2 and 4 weeks compared to adults (P < 0.001). Active-vitamin D metabolite concentrations were higher in foals than adults (P < 0.05). VDR expression was detected in AMφ in all animals and was highest in 2-week-old foals. Vitamin D metabolism and AMφ VDR expression are impacted by age in horses. This may have immunological consequences in foals given the key role that the VDR-vitamin D axis has in pulmonary immunity in other species.
Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Publication Date: 2023-04-05 PubMed ID: 37030152DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2023.110593Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article discusses a study on age-related changes in vitamin D metabolism and vitamin D receptor expression in the lung cells of horses. The study hypothesizes that these changes may affect the immune response and susceptibility to pneumonia in young horses or foals.
Objective of the Research
- The primary aim of this research was to understand the effect of age on the metabolism of vitamin D and the expression of vitamin D receptors (VDR) in the lung cells of horses, particularly the alveolar macrophages (AMφ). Alveolar macrophages are crucial for the defense mechanism of the lungs.
Research Methodology
- The researchers collected AMφ and plasma samples from healthy foals at 2, 4, and 8 weeks of age and from adult horses for comparison.
- The expression of VDR in AMφ was determined through RT-qPCR, a technique used to measure the amount of specific RNA.
- The concentration of vitamin D metabolites in the plasma was quantified using immunoassays, which are biochemical tests that measure the presence or concentration of a substance.
- The data were analyzed using linear mixed models, statistical techniques that are particularly useful when dealing with grouped or clustered data.
Study Findings
- The study found that concentrations of inactive-vitamin D metabolites were lowest in 2-week-old foals, and significantly lower at 2 and 4 weeks old compared to adult horses.
- The concentrations of active-vitamin D metabolites were higher in foals than in adult horses.
- VDR expression was detectable in the AMφ in all animals and was highest in the 2-week-old foals.
Implications of the Study
- The research suggests that age impacts vitamin D metabolism and the expression of VDR in horses, which could have significant implications for their immune system.
- Given the crucial role of the VDR-vitamin D axis in lung immune response in other species, these findings might help explain the susceptibility of young horses to pneumonia.
- This research could contribute to the development of new strategies for protecting foals from pneumonia by modulating the VDR-vitamin D axis.
Cite This Article
APA
Berghaus LJ, Cathcart J, Berghaus RD, Hart KA.
(2023).
Age-related changes in vitamin D metabolism and vitamin D receptor expression in equine alveolar macrophages: A preliminary study.
Vet Immunol Immunopathol, 259, 110593.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2023.110593 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga 30605, Greece.
- Department of Large Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga 30605, Greece.
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga 30605, Greece.
- Department of Large Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga 30605, Greece. Electronic address: khart4@uga.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses
- Receptors, Calcitriol / genetics
- Macrophages, Alveolar
- Vitamin D
- Lung
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Berghaus LJ, Venner M, Helbig H, Hildebrandt D, Hart K. The potential value of cytokine, cortisol and vitamin D profiles in foals from birth to weaning for respiratory disease prediction on a farm endemic for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. Equine Vet J 2026 Mar;58(2):359-371.
- Bjørklund G, Butnariu M, Gurgas L, Hangan T. Vitamin D and Diabetes: Exploring the Link, Prevention, and Management. Curr Med Chem 2026;33(4):689-707.
- da Silveira BP, Kahn SK, Legere RM, Bray JM, Cole-Pfeiffer HM, Golding MC, Cohen ND, Bordin AI. Enteral immunization with live bacteria reprograms innate immune cells and protects neonatal foals from pneumonia. Sci Rep 2025 May 25;15(1):18156.
- Kamr AM, Bartish C, Summers J, Horton J, Hostnik LD, Orr K, Browne N, Dembek KA, Saliba C, Gomez DE, Toribio RE. Longitudinal Evaluation of Vitamin D, Parathyroid Hormone, Antimicrobial Peptides, and Immunomodulatory Genes in Hospitalized Foals. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Mar-Apr;39(2):e70012.
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