title: Alcoholic myopathy: vitamin D deficiency is related to muscle fibre atrophy in a murine model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic myopathy has been described in alcoholics, characterized by atrophy of type II fibres, and vitamin D deficiency. Low serum vitamin D levels are frequent in alcoholics. The possibility exists that serum vitamin D levels are related to muscle changes in a murine experimental model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histological analysis of the right gastrocnemius muscle was performed in four groups of adult Sprague-Dawley rats, sacrificed after 5 weeks of treatment following the Lieber-DeCarli model. We studied the association between muscle histological changes and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lipid peroxidation products (malondialdehyde); parathyroid hormone (PTH), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), free testosterone, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (vitamin D) and corticosterone; and serum calcium and magnesium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcoholic animals showed type IIa and IIb fibre atrophy, especially the low-protein-fed ones, an effect dependent on protein deficiency. A significant relationship was observed between serum vitamin D levels and IIa fibre area (rho = 0.56, P = 0.002), and also, as a trend, between vitamin D and type IIb fibre area (rho = 0.39, p = 0.053); between vitamin D and muscle GPX (rho = 0.40, P = 0.025) and SOD activities (rho = 0.43, P = 0.012). Muscle GPX activity was significantly related with type I fibre area (rho = 0.49, P = 0.01) and muscle SOD, with type IIa fibre area (rho = 0.38, P = 0.045). Serum testosterone was also related with type IIa fibre area (rho = 0.61, P < 0.001). No relation was observed between serum PTH, corticosterone, or IGF-1 and fibre area PTH and antioxidant systems. Multiple regression analysis disclosed that the only parameter independently related with type IIa fibre area was serum vitamin D.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low vitamin D levels are related to muscle fibre atrophy, and altered levels of muscle antioxidant enzymes could play a role in alcoholic myopathy.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario, Ofra s/n 38320 La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. egonrey@ull.es
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: González-Reimers
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Durán-Castellón
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Lirola
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santolaria-Fernández
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abreu-González
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvisa-Negrín
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Pérez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001284:Atrophy; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018656:Muscle Fibers, Fast-Twitch / Q000473:pathology; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D006728:Hormones; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014807:Vitamin D; D000431:Ethanol; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium