OBJECTIVE: To study the link between hepatic interleukin-6 (IL-6) and osteopontin (OPN) gene expression and vitamin D3 status associated with type 1 diabetes in mice; and to evaluate the effects of vitamin D3 treatment (800 IU/kg of body weight for 6 weeks) on diabetes-induced impairments.MATERIALS AND METHODS: mRNA levels of IL-6 and OPN were measured by quantitative RT-PCR. Blood serum 25OHD3 was assayed by ELISA.RESULTS: It was shown that induction of IL-6 in diabetic liver is accompanied by increased expression of OPN. Changes in OPN and IL-6 RNA levels correlated with a lack of 25OHD3 in serum. Vitamin D3 treatment restored 25OHD3 that led to a substantial reduction of OPN and IL-6 mRNA levels.CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes-induced vitamin D3 deficiency was associated with increased hepatic levels of IL-6 and OPN mRNA and these changes were countered by vitamin D3 administration.
Animals Cholecalciferol