title: Interleukin-2 is one of the targets of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in the immune system.
abstract: Interleukin (IL)-2 knockout (KO) mice, which spontaneously develop symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease similar to ulcerative colitis in humans, were made vitamin D deficient (D-) or vitamin D sufficient (D+) or were supplemented with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25D3). 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 supplementation, but not vitamin D supplementation, reduced the early mortality of IL-2 KO mice. However, colitis severity was not different in D-, D+, or 1,25D3 IL-2 KO mice. Cells from D- IL-2 KO mice produced more interferon (IFN)-gamma than cells from all other mice. Con A-induced proliferation was upregulated in IL-2 KO mice and downregulated in wildtype (WT) mice fed 1,25D3. All other measured immune responses in cells from IL-2 KO mice were unchanged by vitamin D status. In vitro addition of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 significantly reduced the production of IL-10 and IFN-gamma in cells from D- and D+ WT mice. Conversely, IFN-gamma and IL-10 production in cells from IL-2 KO mice were refractory to in vitro 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 treatments. In the absence of IL-2, vitamin D was ineffective for suppressing colitis and ineffective for the in vitro downregulation of IL-10 or IFN-gamma production. One target of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in the immune system is the IL-2 gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Candace J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bemiss
authors.forename: Brett D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Mahon
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: Margherita T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Cantorna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002455:Cell Division; D007107:Immune System / Q000378:metabolism*; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D002117:Calcitriol