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(Journal of Nutrition. 1999;129:1966-1971.)
© 1999 The American Society for Nutritional Sciences


Article

Dietary Calcium Is a Major Factor in 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol Suppression of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in Mice1

Margherita T. Cantorna2, Jean Humpal-Winter and Hector F. DeLuca3

Department of Biochemistry, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706

3To whom correspondence should be addressed.


    ABSTRACT
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
The active form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) is a potent immune system regulator. Treating mice with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and feeding them diets high in calcium can completely suppress the induction of experimental autoimmune diseases such as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Experiments described here were carried out on mice in which development of EAE was induced. Mice were fed diets containing various amounts of calcium and 1,25-dihydroxychole-calciferol. Variables measured were as follows: 1) incidence and severity of EAE; 2) serum calcium concentrations; 3) body weight; 4) total number of cells in the lymph nodes; and 5) interleukin-4 (IL-4) and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) mRNA levels. When calcium was removed from the diet, the incidence of EAE was reduced 20% in both males and females. Further, the lower the dietary level of calcium, the higher was the dose of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol required to prevent the symptoms. Thus, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol was found most effective in mice fed a diet adequate or high in calcium. 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol treatment of mice fed high dietary calcium resulted in a decreased number of lymphocytes in the lymph nodes and increased IL-4 and TGF-ß1 mRNA levels. When calcium was omitted from the diet, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol supplementation increased TGF-ß1 mRNA. Increased IL-4 mRNA and decreased lymphocytes in the lymph nodes in response to 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol occurred only when dietary calcium was adequate or high. Our results suggest that dietary calcium and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol are both involved in the prevention of symptomatic EAE.


KEY WORDS: • calcium • vitamin D • experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis • multiple sclerosis • mice


    INTRODUCTION
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
Vitamin D is a recent arrival in the roster of agents that are known to regulate the immune system. Vitamin D is converted in a two-step process to the hormone, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3,]4 which is a key factor in regulating serum calcium, phosphorus and bone (DeLuca 1997Citation ). The action of this hormone is via a steroid hormone-like mechanism through a nuclear receptor, the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which is a member of the steroid hormone receptor superfamily (Pike 1991Citation , Ross et al. 1994Citation ). The discovery of VDR in peripheral blood lymphocytes (Bhalla et al. 1983Citation , Provvedini et al. 1983Citation ) is the clue that led to the realization that 1,25-(OH)2D3 is a significant regulator of the immune system. The most striking evidence of a role for 1,25-(OH)2D3 as an immune system regulator comes from in vivo experiments. 1,25-(OH)2D3 can prevent the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) (Cantorna et al. 1996Citation , Lemire and Archer 1991Citation ) and experimental arthritis (Cantorna et al. 1998aCitation ), and markedly inhibit transplant rejection (Bouillon et al. 1995Citation , Hullett et al. 1998Citation ).

EAE is mediated by CD4+ T cells, which mount an inappropriate immune-mediated attack on the central nervous system (CNS). Type-1 helper (Th1) cells specific for CNS antigens induce the disease, and the Th1 cytokines interferon-{gamma} (IFN-{gamma}) and tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) are associated with EAE in mice (Holda and Swanborg 1982Citation , Powell et al. 1990Citation ). Conversely, type-2 helper (Th2) cells and other cell types that produce interleukin-4 (IL-4) and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) in response to CNS antigens are known to ameliorate EAE. In vivo, 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatments result in a net loss in the total number of lymphocytes and a net increase in the expression of IL-4 and TGF-ß1 (Cantorna et al. 1998bCitation ). Conversely, the in vivo 1,25-treatments had no effect on IFN-{gamma} or TNF-{alpha} expression (Cantorna et al. 1998bCitation ). The role for calcium in the regulation of the immune response, if any, remains unclear.

Human multiple sclerosis is most prevalent in females (Grossman et al. 1991Citation ), whereas incidence and severity of EAE in mice differs in males vs. females, depending on strain (Cantorna et al. 1996Citation , Cua et al. 1995Citation ). Thus, it is already known that sex is a major factor in this disease. This study was designed to determine whether 1,25-(OH)2D3 is equally effective in both sexes and whether dietary calcium level plays any role in the development of the disease and the response to 1,25-(OH)2D3. Our results suggest that both 1,25-(OH)2D3 and calcium regulate the immune response and that 1,25-(OH)2D3 is more effective against EAE in females fed adequate or high dietary calcium levels.


    MATERIALS AND METHODS
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
Animals and diets.

The B10.PL mice were produced in our colony using breeding pairs obtained from Jackson Laboratories (Bar Harbor, ME). During breeding, the mice were fed Purina diet 5008 Formulab (Richmond, IN), containing 100 IU cholecalciferol/g diet. Mice were used for experiments at 6–8 wk of age; at that time, the females weighed 18–22 g, and the males 22–26 g. For experiments, all of the mice were fed synthetic diets (Smith et al. 1987Citation , Yang et al. 1993Citation ) with the modifications described below. For all experiments, each mouse was fed 4 g of the experimental diet per day to ensure that each mouse received its daily dose of 1,25-(OH)2D3 and that controls did not eat more then 1,25-(OH)2D3-treated mice. Although the experimental diet was devoid of vitamin D, the mice were exposed to normal light and therefore were not vitamin D deficient. EAE was induced in all mice 1 wk after the experimental diets were started. For mice with severe symptoms of EAE, food was placed in small dishes on the bottom of the cage. At the end of the experiments, mice were weighed, killed and exsanguinated.

In the first experimental design, male and female mice were fed diets that contained 1 g calcium/100 g diet, and EAE was induced. In a second series of experiments, groups of 8–12 mice were fed the experimental diet (control treatment) without vitamin D or the experimental diet plus various concentrations of 1,25-(OH)2D3 as indicated. Female mice were fed 1,25-(OH)2D3 ranging from 0 to 200 ng/d and male mice were fed 0–800 ng/d. The experimental diet contained one of three calcium concentrations, i.e., 20 mg (low), 470 mg (medium) or 1 g (high) calcium/100 g diet as indicated. The final experimental design used only male mice; they were fed the control diet or the same diet containing 100 ng 1,25-(OH)2D3/4 g diet. These mice were fed diets that contained low, medium or high calcium as indicated. This feeding protocol resulted in six groups of 6–8 male mice each. The dose of 1,25-(OH)2D3 was chosen because it completely prevented EAE in male mice fed high calcium diets. All of the procedures described were reviewed and approved by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Animal Resources Center Committee Review Board on 09/09/94, protocol number A-07–3000-A00755–4-08–94.

EAE disease induction.

Myelin basic protein (MBP) was isolated from guinea pig spinal cords (Cantorna et al. 1996Citation ), lyophilized and stored at -20°C. For immunizations, MBP was dissolved in 0.1 mol/L acetic acid at a concentration of 8 g/L (Cantorna et al. 1996Citation ). Ether-anesthetized mice were immunized subcutaneously with 0.1 mL of MBP (400 mg/mouse) emulsified in an equal volume of complete Freund's adjuvant (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, MI) containing Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37 Ra. In addition, on the day of immunization and 2 d later, mice were injected intraperitoneally with 200 ng of pertussis toxin (LIST Biological Laboratories, Campbell, CA) suspended in sterile saline. This immunization protocol resulted in the induction of EAE in 80–100% of the mice. Male mice were killed on d 21 postimmunization to measure various immune responses. The EAE severity scoring system was as follows: 0 = normal; 1 = limp tail; 2 = paraparesis with a clumsy gait; 3 = hind limb paralysis; 4 = hind- and forelimb paralysis; 5 = moribund.

Lymphocytes.

Axillary, brachial and inguinal lymph nodes (LN) from six mice were collected and pooled from control- and 1,25-(OH)2D3-treated mice on d 21 postimmunization. Each experiment was repeated three times in its entirety. These LN were chosen because they drained the site of immunization. Collected LN were disrupted manually using a 23-gauge needle and a pair of forceps. Total cell numbers in the LN were determined by counting the number of lymphocytes from control- and 1,25-(OH)2D3-treated mice and dividing by the number of mice in the group. Flow cytometry of fluorescent-labeled cell populations (Thy-1, class II, CD4 and CD8) were done on LN cells from control- and 1,25-(OH)2D3-treated mice using standard protocols and exactly as described (Smith et al. 1987Citation ). For cytokine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, LN cells were saved for total cellular RNA isolation.

Transcript analysis by quantitative competitive PCR.

Cells for mRNA analysis were dissolved in acid guanidinium thiocyanate, and total RNA was isolated by the phenol chloroform extraction method (Chomczynski and Sacchi 1987Citation ). Total cellular RNA was reverse-transcribed using oligo dT primers according to the manufacturer's protocols (Promega, Madison, WI) and quantitated by competitive PCR. Primers and mimic DNA specific for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), IL-4 and TGF-ß1 were obtained from Clontech Laboratories, (Palo Alto, CA) (Siebert and Larrick 1992Citation and 1993Citation ). Competitive cDNA mimics, which included the G3PDH, IL-4 and TGF-ß1 primer sequences adjoining a neutral DNA segment, were serially diluted and added to test cDNA aliquots (Siebert and Larrick 1992Citation and 1993Citation ). The authentic product/mimic bp sizes were 983/600 for G3PDH, 306/544 for IL-4 and 525/390 for TGF-ß1. The mixture was amplified under predetermined optimal conditions; the products were resolved by 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis and ethidium bromide stained. The cytokine bands were identified by size with respect to molecular weight standards. The mimic DNA dilution that yielded a band with a fluorescence intensity that matched the cytokine band was used to calculate cytokine cDNA copy number. The G3PDH transcript quantitation served as a control for reverse transcription efficiency. Values are reported as cytokine cDNA copies per 1000 copies of G3PDH cDNA.

Serum calcium and 1,25-(OH)2D3 analysis.

After 50 d, the mice were killed; blood was collected by heart puncture and serum was collected after clot formation. Serum calcium concentrations were determined using a Perkin Elmer (Norwalk, CT) atomic absorption spectrometer exactly as described (Mohamed et al. 1996Citation ). 1,25-(OH)2D3 analysis was done exactly as described (Arbour et al. 1998Citation ).

Statistics.

Where possible, values reported were averages from multiple mice or experiments. Because of the variability in EAE induction, peak severity and cytokine gene expression from one experiment to another, some values were reported as the values from one representative of three experiments. A two-sample test for binomial proportions was used for statistical analysis of all percentage values as described (Rosner 1986Citation ). Again, where possible, statistical analyses were done using a statistics program for the Macintosh (StatView Student, Abacus Concepts, Berkeley, CA). The unpaired two-group Student's t test (confirmed using the Mann-Whitney U test) was done and values of P < 0.05 were considered significant.


    RESULTS
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
Sex and the development of EAE in B10.PL mice.

When dietary calcium was high, the incidence of EAE was 98% for male mice and 96% for female mice. Male and female mice that did not develop EAE by d 50 postimmunization were excluded from the study. For mice that did develop EAE, the EAE maximum severity was plotted vs. the day of EAE onset (Fig. 1Citation ). The maximum EAE severity in male mice ranged from 3 to 5, whereas that in female mice ranged from 2 to 5. An EAE score of 5 was reached by 47% of male mice, whereas only 17% of females scored a 5 (P <= 0.03). The day of EAE onset was also earlier for males (9–24 d) than females (9–38 d) (P <= 0.0002). EAE developed in 34% of female mice 24 d after immunization. Male mice were more susceptible to EAE then female mice.



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Figure 1. The incidence and severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in male and female B10.PL mice. Male mice developed EAE earlier and more severely than female B10.PL mice. After 24 d of immunization, 34% of female mice developed EAE, whereas 100% of male mice developed EAE by that time (P <= 0.0002). Each symbol represents an individual mouse; females, n = 31; males, n = 20.

 
Dietary calcium and the incidence of EAE.

EAE disease severity was unaffected by changes in dietary calcium. Instead, the incidence of EAE varied with the amount of dietary calcium. Diets containing high calcium resulted in EAE incidence values approaching 100% (Fig. 2Citation ). Male and female mice fed low calcium diets had EAE incidence of ~82–83% (Figs. 2Citation 3Citation 4Citation ). The EAE incidence of both male (P <= 0.07) and female (P <= 0.08) mice fed low calcium diets was lower (although not significantly lower) than that of mice consuming high dietary calcium. It is well documented that low dietary calcium stimulates the production of 1,25-(OH)2D3 (DeLuca 1983Citation ). Plasma 1,25-(OH)2D3 values of mice consuming high calcium diets ranged from 0.06 to 0.18 µmol/L of serum, and values of mice fed low calcium ranged from 0.10 to 0.36 µmol/L of serum. A median dietary calcium level resulted in an intermediate EAE incidence of 95–99% (Fig. 3)Citation . Mice fed low calcium diets and treated with 1,25-(OH)2D3 showed a significant (males P <= 0.007 and females P <= 0.05) drop in EAE incidence of 40–45% compared with mice that were not treated with 1,25-(OH)2D3 (Fig. 4)Citation . The 40–45% decrease in EAE incidence occurred in the absence of an increase in serum calcium concentrations (2.2 ± 0.2 mmol/L, Fig. 4Citation ).



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Figure 2. The 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3] dose response of male and female mice fed diets that contained 1 g calcium/100 g diet. The incidence of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice fed diets high in calcium was 100% for males and 99% for females. EAE was completely prevented in females at 6 ng/d of 1,25-(OH)2D3 (upper panel) and in males at 100 ng/d of 1,25-(OH)2D3 (lower panel). Each data point represents at least 6 and as many as 32 mice. *Significantly different than values of mice fed no 1,25-(OH)2D3, P < 0.05.

 


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Figure 3. The 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3] dose response of male and female mice fed diets that contained 470 mg calcium/100g diet. The incidence of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice fed diets containing medium levels of calcium was 98% in male mice and 96% in female mice. EAE was completely prevented in female mice at 200 ng/d of 1,25-(OH)2D3 (upper panel) and in male mice at 400 ng/d of 1,25-(OH)2D3 (lower panel). Each data point represents at least 6 and as many as 25 mice. *Significantly different than values of mice fed no 1,25-(OH)2D3, P < 0.05.

 


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Figure 4. The 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3] dose response of male and female mice fed diets that contain 20 mg calcium/100 g diet. The incidence of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice fed diets containing low calcium was 83% in males and 82% in females. EAE was never completely prevented in females at 200 ng/d of 1,25-(OH)2D3 (upper panel) or in males at 800 ng/d of 1,25-(OH)2D3 (lower panel). Lower doses of 1,25-(OH)2D3 decreased the incidence of EAE to 30% (P <= 0.007) in male mice and 45% (P <= 0.05) in female mice without raising serum calcium. Each data point represents at least 8 and as many as 22 mice. *Significantly different than values of mice fed no 1,25-(OH)2D3, P < 0.05.

 
1,25-(OH)2D3, serum calcium and the prevention of EAE.

When dietary calcium was high, 6 ng/d of 1,25-(OH)2D3 prevented EAE in female mice, and 100 ng/d of 1,25-(OH)2D3 was needed for male mice (Fig. 2)Citation . At these doses of 1,25-(OH)2D3, serum calcium was elevated. At a medium dietary calcium level, 200 ng/d of 1,25-(OH)2D3 in female mice and 400 ng/d in male mice were needed to prevent EAE (Fig. 3)Citation . When calcium in the diet was low, EAE was not prevented by even high doses of 1,25-(OH)2D3. These doses of 1,25-(OH)2D3 raised calcium significantly from 2.0 ± 0.1 to 3.2 ± 0.2 mmol/L calcium (Fig. 4)Citation . At all levels of dietary calcium, sustained hypercalcemia was associated with significant weight loss (Table 1Citation ). Finally, at least four times more 1,25-(OH)2D3, and at high calcium intakes, 17 times more 1,25-(OH)2D3 was required to prevent EAE in male mice than in female mice. For the 1,25-(OH)2D3-treated mice, the overall symptoms of EAE (day of onset, paralysis scores) decreased as the incidence dropped (data not shown).


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Table 1. Serum calcium and weight of male mice fed various levels of calcium and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3]1

 
1,25-(OH)2D3, serum calcium and the immune response.

1,25-(OH)2D3 administration to mice consuming high calcium diets resulted in a net loss of lymphocytes and the increased expression of IL-4 and TGF-ß1 (Cantorna et al. 1998bCitation ). Control mice with EAE had 3.5–4.1 x 107 cells in the LN regardless of the amount of calcium in their diets (Fig. 5Citation ). The total number of cells in the LN of 1,25-(OH)2D3-treated mice with EAE was the same as that of controls fed low calcium diets but decreased dramatically (P <= 0.001) with the addition of calcium to the diet (Fig. 5)Citation . Cell surface analysis showed that regardless of dietary calcium or 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment, Thy-1 positive cells made up 52–57% of the LN cells, CD4+ cells were 40–44% of the LN cells, and CD8+ cells were 18–21% of the LN cells. There was no change in G3PDH mRNA levels by any of the manipulations used, and because this is considered a "housekeeping" gene, its level is used as reference. The IL-4 and TGF-ß1 mRNA levels presented on this basis reflect the IL-4 and TGF-ß1 levels per cell in the LN. Little IL-4 was detected in the LN of control-fed mice with EAE regardless of the amount of calcium in the diet (Fig. 6Citation ). IL-4 production in 1,25-(OH)2D3-fed mice was not different than controls when they were fed low calcium diets. The amount of IL-4 produced increased as the calcium in the diet increased but only in cells from mice treated with 1,25-(OH)2D3 (Fig. 6)Citation . TGF-ß 1 levels in the LN of control-fed mice were uniformly low compared with those in mice fed 1,25-(OH)2D3 (Fig. 6)Citation . Dietary calcium had no effect on TGF-ß1 mRNA levels (Fig. 6)Citation . For IL-4 mRNA, mice with the fewest cells in the LN [high calcium plus 1,25-(OH)2D3-treated] expressed the most IL-4. For TGF-ß1 mRNA expression, all mice treated with 1,25-(OH)2D3 expressed high levels of TGF-ß1 regardless of the number of cells in the LN.



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Figure 5. The effect of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3] and calcium on the total cells recoverable from the draining lymph nodes (LN) of mice 3 wk after experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induction. Groups of male B10.PL mice were fed low, medium and high calcium diets with or without the addition of 100 ng 1,25-(OH)2D3, and EAE was induced. The experiment was repeated three times with six mice per group. Values are mean ± SEM of the values from three experiments. *Significantly different than the values of mice not treated with 1,25-(OH)2D3, P < 0.05.

 


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Figure 6. The effect of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25-(OH)2D3] and calcium on the interleukin-4 (IL-4) and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) transcripts in the lymph nodes (LN). Groups of male B10.PL mice were fed low, medium and high calcium diets with or without the addition of 100 ng 1,25-(OH)2D3/d, and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was induced. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH) levels were unaffected by any of the manipulations used in this study as would be expected for this "housekeeping" gene. The values are reported, therefore, on a G3PDH mRNA basis. One representative experiment of three is presented. Each value represents the pooled results from six mice. Although the overall magnitude of the response varied from experiment to experiment, these were highly reproducible results.

 

    DISCUSSION
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 
Dietary calcium level and 1,25-(OH)2D3 are critically linked in the prevention of EAE in mice. When mice are fed a diet containing high calcium (approaching commercial diets), 1,25-(OH)2D3 at appropriate doses is 100% effective in preventing EAE. In contrast, when calcium is removed from the diet, 1,25-(OH)2D3 is only 50% effective in preventing EAE. When an intermediary level of calcium is fed, the effectiveness of 1,25-(OH)2D3 is intermediate between a low calcium and a high calcium diet. Th-1 cells are believed to cause EAE. This belief is strongly supported by the finding that transferring a Th-1 cell clone specific for MBP to naive mice results in EAE (Powell et al. 1990Citation ). Therefore, our results strongly support the involvement of calcium in the action of 1,25-(OH)2D3 for the regulation of this T-helper cell–dependent autoimmune disease (Holda and Swanborg 1982Citation , Powell et al. 1990Citation ).

It is of some interest that in mice fed a low calcium diet, doses of 1,25-(OH)2D3 that nevertheless produce frank hypercalcemia produce little or no further reduction in the incidence of EAE. Thus, in the absence of a dietary source of calcium, 1,25-(OH)2D3-mediated increases in serum calcium are ineffective for the further suppression of EAE. On the other hand, there are doses of 1,25-(OH)2D3 that do not cause hypercalcemia but that nevertheless reduce the incidence of EAE. Overall, our results argue that the 1,25-(OH)2D3 may function by both calcium-dependent and calcium-independent mechanisms to suppress EAE.

Manipulating only dietary calcium had no effect on the immune response to EAE. The total cell number in the LN of mice with EAE was inversely related to the amount of dietary calcium in mice fed 1,25-(OH)2D3. Similarly, thymic atrophy resulted as a consequence of 1,25-(OH)2D3-induced hypercalcemia (Mohamed et al. 1996Citation ). The decreased cell number in the LN may be due to 1,25-(OH)2D3-induced decreases in cell expansion or increases in cell death. IL-4 mRNA was increased, but not that of TGF-ß1, relative to the amount of calcium fed. In the absence of added dietary calcium, 1,25-(OH)2D3 had no effect on IL-4 expression. 1,25-(OH)2D3 and calcium may actually be selectively inhibiting the differentiation and/or expression of cells that do not make IL-4. The result would seem to be an increase in IL-4 expression. Therefore, it is possible that IL-4 expression has not changed; rather, the proportion of cells making IL-4 has increased. Conversely, TGF-ß1 increased in response to 1,25-(OH)2D3 regardless of dietary calcium. This finding is consistent with our previous work, suggesting that TGF-ß1 gene expression is regulated directly by 1,25-(OH)2D3 (Cantorna et al. 1998bCitation ). Calcium is an important intracellular messenger, but how dietary calcium might affect intracellular calcium is unknown. More work is required to understand the relationship of 1,25-(OH)2D3 and calcium as immune system regulators.

It is of some interest that low dietary calcium reduces the incidence of EAE, whereas at the same time it reduces the effectiveness of 1,25-(OH)2D3 in preventing EAE. The mice used in these experiments were not vitamin D depleted and thus contained stores of vitamin D and 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Low dietary calcium markedly stimulates the production of 1,25-(OH)2D3 (DeLuca 1983Citation ). This endogenously produced hormone may well play a role in reducing the incidence of EAE. On the other hand, it is clear that even large doses of 1,25-(OH)2D3 cannot completely prevent EAE in these mice. Low dietary calcium must therefore play more than one role. These results with low dietary calcium may well account for some of the divergent results on the effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 in prevention of EAE reported in the literature (Bouillon et al. 1995Citation , Cantorna et al. 1996Citation , Lemire and Archer 1991Citation ).

Our results argue that the role of 1,25-(OH)2D3 in preventing EAE and regulating the immune response to EAE involves calcium. Only detailed investigation at the cellular and molecular level will clarify the role of calcium and 1,25-(OH)2D3 in the regulation of the immune system.


    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 
We thank Pat Mings for the organization and preparation of this manuscript.


    FOOTNOTES
 
1 Supported in part by a program project grant, number DK14881, from the National Institutes of Health and a fund from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. Back

2 Current address: Nutrition Department, Pennsylvania State University, 126S Henderson, University Park, PA 16802. Back

4 Abbreviations used: CNS, central nervous system; 1,25-(OH)2D3, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol; EAE, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; G3PDH, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; IFN-{gamma}, interferon {gamma}; IL-4, interleukin-4; LN, lymph node; MBP, myelin basic protein; MS, multiple sclerosis; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; TGF-ß1, transforming growth factor ß1; Th1, type-1 helper; Th2, type-2 helper; TNF-{alpha}, tumor necrosis factor-{alpha}; VDR, vitamin D receptor. Back

Manuscript received February 21, 1999. Initial review completed April 8, 1999. Revision accepted July 23, 1999.


    REFERENCES
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 INTRODUCTION
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES
 

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