PolyMVA Survivors Website

The 4 Corners Protocol
#2
Improve & Normalize
Immune Function

"Vitamin D: its role and uses in immunology"
Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA; and Department of Nutrition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA; The FASEB Journal. 2001;15:2579-2585

1,25-(OH)2D3 = vitamin-D
"The significant role of vitamin D compounds as selective immuno-suppressants is illustrated by their ability to either prevent or markedly suppress animal models of autoimmune disease."

"Results show that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3(Vitamin D3) can either prevent or markedly suppress experimental (1) autoimmune encephalomyelitis, (2) rheumatoid arthritis, (3) systemic lupus erythematosus, (4) type I diabetes, and (5) inflammatory bowel disease."

"In almost every case, the action of the vitamin D hormone requires that the animals be maintained on a normal or high calcium diet."

The vitamin D hormone stimulates transforming growth factor TGFß-1 and interleukin 4 (IL-4) production, which in turn may suppress inflammatory T cell activity. The results suggest an important role for vitamin D in autoimmune disorders and provide a fertile and interesting area of research that may yield important new therapies.

"Perhaps the most important was the discovery of the VDR, vitamin-D receptor, in the parathyroid glands and the demonstration that the vitamin D hormone functions through its receptor to suppress the preproparathyroid gene and parathyroid cell proliferation."

"It became evident, therefore, that T cell-mediated immunity is under modulatory control of 1,25-(OH)2D3, or vitamin-D"

"…..when similar examinations were followed in the high calcium diet, the vitamin D compounds were effective. Thus, it became clear that calcium is required for the vitamin D suppression of the autoimmune disease, EAE(similar to Human Multiple Sclerosis)….. The results, therefore, imply that a high calcium diet is required for the vitamin D hormone to be effective in the treatment of EAE."

Rheumatoid arthritis proved to be another example of an autoimmune disorder that can be largely prevented by the administration of the 1-hydroxylated vitamin D compounds, including 1,25-(OH)2D3……high calcium intakes were not required for vitamin D compounds to prevent the lesions.

"….systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)...... the severity of the MRL symptoms was also markedly prevented by the administration of 1,25-(OH)2D3……….. the results illustrate that a high calcium background is required for the vitamin D hormone to prevent the development of this autoimmune disorder(SLE) in the MRL mice."

"The laboratory of Margherita Cantorna has investigated the possible treatment or prevention of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by vitamin D…..Vitamin D deficiency accelerated the appearance of symptoms and increased the severity of IBD in interleukin 10 (IL-10) knockout (KO) mice….This was essentially prevented by the administration of 1,25-(OH)2D3, again under conditions of high calcium intakes.

"……we have investigated the development of type I diabetes in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model…..Vitamin D deficiency markedly accelerated the appearance and increased the incidence of type I diabetes in the NOD mice…..Addition to the diet of 1,25-(OH)2D3 at 50 ng/day for females and 200 ng/day for males prevented the appearance of the diabetic lesions…..the autoimmune disorder in the NOD mice can be prevented by the administration of 1,25-(OH)2D3 if animals are receiving a normal to high calcium diet."

"Another important development has been the use of vitamin D compounds to suppress or prevent transplant rejection."

"The sum of these findings in whole animals clearly illustrates that T cell-mediated immunity can be regulated by exogenous administration of 1-hydroxylated vitamin D compounds."

"Clearly, we are just beginning to probe the mechanisms whereby vitamin D hormone and its analogs can act as selective immuno-suppressants."

"Suppression of autoimmune disease requires not only the
active form of vitamin D and its analogs, but also
adequate or high calcium intakes."

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	The 4 Corners Protocol #2 Improve & Normalize Immune Function "Vitamin D: its role and uses in immunology" Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA; and Department of Nutrition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA; The FASEB Journal. 2001;15:2579-2585 1,25-(OH)2D3 = vitamin-D "The significant role of vitamin D compounds as selective immuno-suppressants is illustrated by their ability to either prevent or markedly suppress animal models of autoimmune disease." "Results show that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3(Vitamin D3) can either prevent or markedly suppress experimental (1) autoimmune encephalomyelitis, (2) rheumatoid arthritis, (3) systemic lupus erythematosus, (4) type I diabetes, and (5) inflammatory bowel disease." "In almost every case, the action of the vitamin D hormone requires that the animals be maintained on a normal or high calcium diet." The vitamin D hormone stimulates transforming growth factor TGFß-1 and interleukin 4 (IL-4) production, which in turn may suppress inflammatory T cell activity. The results suggest an important role for vitamin D in autoimmune disorders and provide a fertile and interesting area of research that may yield important new therapies. "Perhaps the most important was the discovery of the VDR, vitamin-D receptor, in the parathyroid glands and the demonstration that the vitamin D hormone functions through its receptor to suppress the preproparathyroid gene and parathyroid cell proliferation." "It became evident, therefore, that T cell-mediated immunity is under modulatory control of 1,25-(OH)2D3, or vitamin-D" "…..when similar examinations were followed in the high calcium diet, the vitamin D compounds were effective. Thus, it became clear that calcium is required for the vitamin D suppression of the autoimmune disease, EAE(similar to Human Multiple Sclerosis)….. The results, therefore, imply that a high calcium diet is required for the vitamin D hormone to be effective in the treatment of EAE." Rheumatoid arthritis proved to be another example of an autoimmune disorder that can be largely prevented by the administration of the 1-hydroxylated vitamin D compounds, including 1,25-(OH)2D3……high calcium intakes were not required for vitamin D compounds to prevent the lesions. "….systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)...... the severity of the MRL symptoms was also markedly prevented by the administration of 1,25-(OH)2D3……….. the results illustrate that a high calcium background is required for the vitamin D hormone to prevent the development of this autoimmune disorder(SLE) in the MRL mice." "The laboratory of Margherita Cantorna has investigated the possible treatment or prevention of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by vitamin D…..Vitamin D deficiency accelerated the appearance of symptoms and increased the severity of IBD in interleukin 10 (IL-10) knockout (KO) mice….This was essentially prevented by the administration of 1,25-(OH)2D3, again under conditions of high calcium intakes. "……we have investigated the development of type I diabetes in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model…..Vitamin D deficiency markedly accelerated the appearance and increased the incidence of type I diabetes in the NOD mice…..Addition to the diet of 1,25-(OH)2D3 at 50 ng/day for females and 200 ng/day for males prevented the appearance of the diabetic lesions…..the autoimmune disorder in the NOD mice can be prevented by the administration of 1,25-(OH)2D3 if animals are receiving a normal to high calcium diet." "Another important development has been the use of vitamin D compounds to suppress or prevent transplant rejection." "The sum of these findings in whole animals clearly illustrates that T cell-mediated immunity can be regulated by exogenous administration of 1-hydroxylated vitamin D compounds." "Clearly, we are just beginning to probe the mechanisms whereby vitamin D hormone and its analogs can act as selective immuno-suppressants." "Suppression of autoimmune disease requires not only the active form of vitamin D and its analogs, but also adequate or high calcium intakes."

	Return to previous page