Dietary Vitamin D Mitigates Coronavirus-Induced Lung Inflammation and Damage in Mice.

Campolina-Silva, Gabriel; Andrade, Ana Cláudia dos Santos Pereira; Couto, Manoela; Bittencourt-Silva, Paloma G.; Queiroz-Junior, Celso M.; Lacerda, Larisse de Souza B.; Chaves, Ian de Meira; de Oliveira, Leonardo C.; Marim, Fernanda Martins; Oliveira, Cleida A.; da Silva, Glauber S. F.; Teixeira, Mauro Martins; Costa, Vivian Vasconcelos

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 (β-CoV) betacoronavirus has posed a significant threat to global health. Despite the availability of vaccines, the virus continues to spread, and there is a need for alternative strategies to alleviate its impact. Vitamin D, a secosteroid hormone best known for its role in bone health, exhibits immunomodulatory effects in certain viral infections. Here, we have shown that bioactive vitamin D (calcitriol) limits in vitro replication of SARS-CoV-2 and murine coronaviruses MHV-3 and MHV-A59. Comparative studies involving wild-type mice intranasally infected with MHV-3, a model for studying β-CoV respiratory infections, confirmed the protective effect of vitamin D in vivo. Accordingly, mice fed a standard diet rapidly succumbed to MHV-3 infection, whereas those on a vitamin D-rich diet (10,000 IU of Vitamin D3/kg) displayed increased resistance to acute respiratory damage and systemic complications. Consistent with these findings, the vitamin D-supplemented group exhibited lower viral titers in their lungs and reduced levels of TNF, IL-6, IL-1β, and IFN-γ, alongside an enhanced type I interferon response. Altogether, our findings suggest vitamin D supplementation ameliorates β-CoV-triggered respiratory illness and systemic complications in mice, likely via modulation of the host's immune response to the virus.

LUNGS; PNEUMONIA; VITAMIN D; VITAMINS; TYPE I interferons; BONE health

Viruses (1999-4915), 2023, Vol 15, Issue 12, p2434

1999-4915

Academic Journal

10.3390/v15122434