title: Treatment of an intramammary bacterial infection with 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3).
abstract: Deficiency of serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) has been correlated with increased risk of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and influenza. A plausible reason for this association is that expression of genes encoding important antimicrobial proteins depends on concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) produced by activated immune cells at sites of infection, and that synthesis of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) is dependent on the availability of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3). Thus, increasing the availability of 25(OH)D(3) for immune cell synthesis of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) at sites of infection has been hypothesized to aid in clearance of the infection. This report details the treatment of an acute intramammary infection with infusion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) to the site of infection. Ten lactating cows were infected with  in one quarter of their mammary glands. Half of the animals were treated intramammary with 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3). The 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) treated animal showed significantly lower bacterial counts in milk and showed reduced symptomatic affects of the mastitis. It is significant that treatment with 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) reduced the severity of an acute bacterial infection. This finding suggested a significant non-antibiotic complimentary role for 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) in the treatment of infections in compartments naturally low in 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) such as the mammary gland and by extension, possibly upper respiratory tract infections.
authors: Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, Iowa, United States of America. john.lippolis@ars.usda.gov
authors: John D
authors: JD
authors: Lippolis
authors: Timothy A
authors: TA
authors: Reinhardt
authors: Randy A
authors: RA
authors: Sacco
authors: Brian J
authors: BJ
authors: Nonnecke
authors: Corwin D
authors: CD
authors: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000378:metabolism; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D