Role of vitamin D supplementation in asthma and seasonal allergic rhinitis in eastern India

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) known to be a common type of chronic rhinitis which affects 10-20% of the general population while asthma is another major health problem and leading cause of morbidity in the worldwide. Vitamin D, a steroid hormone known for its important role in immunological effects has a role in AR and asthma.Aims and Objectives: The aim of our study was to assess the serum vitamin D levels in patients with asthma and seasonal AR pre-treatment or post treatment with oral vitamin D supplementation (cholecalciferol – 1000 IU) and to study the pathogenesis of the disease.Materials and Methods: The study included 66 AR and asthma patients and 46 control subjects.Fasting serum samples of control and AR subjects were analyzed for routine biochemical parameters immediately after collection while aliquots of the samples were also stored at - 200 C for the assay of 25-hydroxyvitamin D by ELISA.Results: Serum vitamin D levels were found to be significantly lower in AR and asthma patients compared with controls (p < 0.0001). On receiving vitamin D supplementation (cholecalciferol – 1000 IU) we found an increase in vitamin D serum levels in AR and asthma patients as compared to controls (p < 0.0001).Conclusion: Supplementation of vitamin D may be beneficial in the prevention of the pathogenesis of AR and asthma.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.8(3) 2017 26-29

Role of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines and Vitamin D in Probable Alzheimer's Disease with Depression

Symptoms of depression are present in a significant proportion of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. While epidemiological studies have shown a strong association between depression and AD, it has not been established whether depression is a risk factor or merely a co-morbidity of AD. It is also uncertain if depression affects the pathogenesis of AD. In this paper, we address these questions by measuring the serum levels of two common metabolic risk factors of AD and depression, inflammatory cytokines (IL 6 and TNF alpha) and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, in a case-control study. We measured the serum levels of IL 6, TNF α and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in age-matched healthy controls (n= 60) and in AD patients without depression (n=26) or AD patients with depression (n=34), and statistically analyzed the changes in these parameters among different groups under this study. Our results show that in AD there is a significant increase in IL 6 and TNF α and a marked decrease in 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the peripheral circulation compared to age-matched healthy controls. Furthermore, AD patients with depression have even significantly higher levels of IL 6 or TNF α and a lower level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in circulation than in AD patients without depression. We also found a strong statistical correlation between the disease severity and the serum levels of IL 6, TNF α and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in AD patients with depression. These results suggest that altered circulating levels of common metabolic risk factors lead to the co-existence of depression with AD in many patients, and when they co-exist, the depression presumably affects the severity of AD presentations through more aggravated changes in these risk factors.

Role of Serum Adiponectin and Vitamin D in Prediabetes and Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVES

The roles of deficient or deranged insulin, adiponectin and 25 hydroxy vitamin D (25[OH]D) levels regulating food intake, energy metabolism, glucose and lipid metabolism and body weight have been reported in the pathogenesis of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, their congruity in the etiology of diabetes mellitus is unknown. Thus, the aim of the study was to investigate the roles of these parameters together and to establish their interrelationship in patients with prediabetes and diabetes.

METHODS

The preliminary cross-sectional study included 77 persons with type 2 diabetes who were matched for age, sex and body mass index (BMI); 73 persons with prediabetes; and 52 healthy control subjects. Fasting serum levels of adiponectin, insulin and 25(OH)D were measured by commercially available immune assay kits, and routine biochemical parameters were analyzed in all study groups.

RESULTS

The results show statistically significant lower levels of serum adiponectin and serum 25(OH)D and higher serum insulin levels in persons with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes with respect to controls. The changes in the serum adiponectin or serum 25(OH)D in persons with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes were found to be inversely correlated with the serum levels of insulin. Moreover, multiple linear regression analysis, with 25(OH)D, insulin and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) as the variables, revealed that serum adiponectin levels might be an independent risk factor for the progression of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in subjects.

CONCLUSIONS

The association of these hormones might act as a significant predictor of progression of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. Decreased serum adiponectin levels might be an independent risk factor for progression to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, which may help in developing experimental models of the disease or in identifying biomarkers or disease-modifying drugs.

Genistein, the Isoflavone in Soybean, Causes Amyloid Beta Peptide Accumulation in Human Neuroblastoma Cell Line: Implications in Alzheimer's Disease

The isoflavone, genistein, present in soybean is being actively investigated for its potential beneficial effect against Alzheimer's disease. Our data, however, show that in SHSY5Y cells genistein causes increased expression (mRNA and protein) of amyloid precursor protein (APP), increased mRNA expression and activity of β-secretase and diminished level of insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) which also degrades amyloid beta peptide. These effects of genistein lead to enhanced accumulation of amyloid beta peptide (Aβ42) in SHSY5Y cells. The results do not support the view that genistein could be a putative drug against AD and instead strengthen the epidemiological study which implies that genistein content of soybean food product (Tofu) leads to cognitive impairment.

Metabolic Risk Factors of Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease: Implications in the Pathology, Pathogenesis and Treatment

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the major cause of dementia among the elderly world-wide, manifests in familial and sporadic forms, and the latter variety accounts for the majority of the patients affected by this disease. The etiopathogenesis of sporadic AD is complex and uncertain. The autopsy studies of AD brain have provided limited understanding of the antemortem pathogenesis of the disease. Experimental AD research with transgenic animal or various cell based models has so far failed to explain the complex and varied spectrum of AD dementia. The review, therefore, emphasizes the importance of AD related risk factors, especially those with metabolic implications, identified from various epidemiological studies, in providing clues to the pathogenesis of this complex disorder. Several metabolic risk factors of AD like hypercholesterolemia, hyperhomocysteinemia and type 2 diabetes have been studied extensively both in epidemiology and experimental research, while much less is known about the role of adipokines, pro-inflammatory cytokines and vitamin D in this context. Moreover, the results from many of these studies have shown a degree of variability which has hindered our understanding of the role of AD related risk factors in the disease progression. The review also encompasses the recent recommendations regarding clinical and neuropathological diagnosis of AD and brings out the inherent uncertainty and ambiguity in this area which may have a distinct impact on the outcome of various population-based studies on AD-related risk factors.

α-Synuclein-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in isolated preparation and intact cells: implications in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease

This study has shown that purified recombinant human α-synuclein (20 μM) causes membrane depolarization and loss of phosphorylation capacity of isolated purified rat brain mitochondria by activating permeability transition pore complex. In intact SHSY5Y (human neuroblastoma cell line) cells, lactacystin (5 μM), a proteasomal inhibitor, causes an accumulation of α-synuclein with concomitant mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. The effects of lactacystin on intact SHSY5Y cells are, however, prevented by knocking down α-synuclein expression by specific siRNA. Furthermore, in wild-type (non-transfected) SHSY5Y cells, the effects of lactacystin on mitochondrial function and cell viability are also prevented by cyclosporin A (1 μM) which blocks the activity of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Likewise, in wild-type SHSY5Y cells, typical mitochondrial poison like antimycin A (50 nM) produces loss of cell viability comparable to that of lactacystin (5 μM). These data, in combination with those from isolated brain mitochondria, strongly suggest that intracellularly accumulated α-synuclein can interact with mitochondria in intact SHSY5Y cells causing dysfunction of the organelle which drives the cell death under our experimental conditions. The results have clear implications in the pathogenesis of sporadic Parkinson's disease. α-Synuclein is shown to cause mitochondrial impairment through interaction with permeability transition pore complex in isolated preparations. Intracellular accumulation of α-synuclein in SHSY5Y cells following proteasomal inhibition leads to mitochondrial impairment and cell death which could be prevented by knocking down α-synuclein gene. The results link mitochondrial dysfunction and α-synuclein accumulation, two key pathogenic mechanisms of Parkinson's disease, in a common damage pathway.

Serum Homocysteine, Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate and Lipoprotein (a) in Alzheimer's Disease and Vascular Dementia

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VAD) are the major forms of dementia affecting elderly people, in which the levels of many metabolites are altered in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum. These metabolites could be risk factors or potential biomarkers, but the significance of some of these are not clearly understood in the context of the disease pathogenesis. In the present study serum levels of homocysteine, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) and lipoprotein (a) or Lp(a) have been measured by ELISA using commercial kits in AD (n = 40), VAD (n = 40) and age matched control subjects (n = 40). The data are compared by ANOVA and post-hoc analysis. The serum homocysteine is markedly elevated compared to control both in AD and VAD subjects, but to a significantly higher extent in the latter. Lp(a) is increased in the serum of VAD subjects only compared to control. Likewise, serum DHEA-S level is lowered in AD but not in VAD compared to control. The analysis of the present data and those published by others suggest that alterations in homocysteine and Lp(a) in serum are indicators of vascular pathology in AD or VAD, while the lowering of serum DHEA-S is a consequence of AD pathology.