BACKGROUND: Vitamin D has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties, and may mitigate amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathology.AIMS: To determine the effects of dietary vitamin D(3) (D(3)) at 10-fold the adequate intake (AI) on functional and disease outcomes and lifespan in the transgenic G93A mouse model of ALS.METHODS: Starting at age 40 days, 32 G93A mice (21 M, 11 F) were provided ad libitum with either an adequate (AI; 1 IU/g feed) or high (HiD; 10 IU/g feed) D(3) diet. Differences were considered significant at P? 0.10, as this was a pilot study.RESULTS: For paw grip endurance, HiD mice had a 7% greater score between 60-133 d versus AI mice (P= 0.074). For motor performance, HiD mice had a 22% greater score between 60-133 days (P= 0.074) versus AI mice due to changes observed in male mice, where HiD males had a 33% greater score (P= 0.064) versus AI males. There were no significant diet differences in disease onset, disease progression, or lifespan.CONCLUSION: Although disease outcomes were not affected, D(3) supplementation at 10-fold the AI improved paw grip endurance and motor performance in the transgenic G93A mouse model of ALS, specifically in males.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Animals