title: Vitamin D3 pretreatment protects against lipopolysaccharide-induced early embryo loss through its anti-inflammatory effects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increasing evidence demonstrates that inflammatory cytokines are involved in LPS-induced adverse pregnant outcomes including early embryo loss. Vitamin D3 (VitD3) has anti-inflammatory activity. We aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D3 (VitD3) on LPS-induced early embryo loss in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  All pregnant mice except controls were intraperitoneally (ip) injected with LPS on GD7. In VitD3 alone and LPS+VitD3 groups, pregnant mice were pretreated with VitD3 by gavage daily from GD5 to GD7.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LPS caused 62.5% pregnant mice with early embryo loss. Interestingly, the rate of abortion dropped to 14.3% when pregnant mice were pretreated with VitD3. Additional experiment showed that VitD3 significantly attenuated LPS-evoked elevation on TNF-α, IFN-γ, MIP-2, and nitrate plus nitrite in maternal serum. In addition, VitD3 alleviated LPS-induced COX-2 expression in the decidua and attenuated the elevation of PGF2α in maternal serum. Although VitD3 had no effect on IL-10 in maternal serum, it induced further elevation of serum IL-10 level in LPS-treated mice. Further analysis showed that VitD3 activated VDR signaling, simultaneously inhibited LPS-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 subunits in the decidua.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VitD3 protects mice from LPS-induced early embryo loss at least partially through its anti-inflammatory effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.|Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.|Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.|Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Mi-Zhen
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Guang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.|Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.|Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: De-Xiang
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000276:immunology*; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000276:immunology*; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D003656:Decidua / Q000378:metabolism; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000097:blood; D020964:Embryo Loss / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D002762:Cholecalciferol; D015237:Dinoprost; C077623:Ptgs2 protein, mouse; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2
keywords: early embryo loss; inflammation; lipopolysaccharide; vitamin D receptor; vitamin D3