title: Impact of the length of vitamin D deficiency on cardiac remodeling.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was aimed to evaluate the influence of vitamin D (VD) deficiency on cardiac metabolism, morphology, and function. Thus, we investigated the relationship of these changes with the length of the nutrient restriction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Male weanling Wistar rats were allocated into 4 groups: C2 (n=24), animals were fed an AIN-93G diet with 1000 IU VD/kg of chow and were kept under fluorescent light for 2 months; D2 (n=22), animals were fed a VD-deficient AIN-93G diet and were kept under incandescent light for 2 months; C4 (n=21) animals were kept in the same conditions of C2 for 4 months; and D4 (n=23) animals were kept in the same conditions of D2 for 4 months. Biochemical analyses showed lower β-hydroxyacyl coenzyme-A dehydrogenase activity and higher lactate dehydrogenase activity in VD-deficient animals. Furthermore, VD deficiency was related to increased cytokines release, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and fibrosis. Echocardiographic data showed left ventricular hypertrophy and lower fractional shortening and ejection fraction in VD-deficient animals. Difference became evident in the lactate dehydrogenase activity, left ventricular weight, right ventricle weight, and left ventricular mass after 4 months of VD deficiency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that VD deficiency is associated with energetic metabolic changes, cardiac inflammation, oxidative stress, fibrosis and apoptosis, cardiac hypertrophy, left chambers alterations, and systolic dysfunction. Furthermore, length of the restriction influenced these cardiac changes.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Botucatu Medical School, UNESP, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil.
authors.forename: Heloisa Balan
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Assalin
authors.forename: Bruna Paola
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Rafacho
authors.forename: Priscila Portugal
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Lidiane Paula
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Ardisson
authors.forename: Meliza Goi
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Roscani
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiuso-Minicucci
authors.forename: Luis Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Barbisan
authors.forename: Ana Angelica Henrique
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Paula Schmidt
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.forename: Marcos Ferreira
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Minicucci
authors.forename: Leonardo Antonio
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Zornoff
authors.forename: Sergio Alberto Rupp
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: de Paiva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; C580592:Gja1 protein, rat; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D053148:Caspase 3
keywords: cardiac remodeling; oxidative stress; vitamin D deficiency