
Vitamin D deficiency contributes to vascular damage in sustained ischemic acute kidney injury
Author(s) -
Bragança Ana C.,
Volpini Rildo A.,
Mehrotra Purvi,
Andrade Lúcia,
Basile David P.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
physiological reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2051-817X
DOI - 10.14814/phy2.12829
Subject(s) - medicine , vitamin d deficiency , endocrinology , acute kidney injury , vitamin d and neurology , kidney disease , fibrosis , kidney , vitamin
Reductions in renal microvasculature density and increased lymphocyte activity may play critical roles in the progression of chronic kidney disease ( CKD ) following acute kidney injury ( AKI ) induced by ischemia/reperfusion injury ( IRI ). Vitamin D deficiency is associated with tubulointerstitial damage and fibrosis progression following IRI ‐ AKI . We evaluated the effect of vitamin D deficiency in sustained IRI ‐ AKI , hypothesizing that such deficiency contributes to the early reduction in renal capillary density or alters the lymphocyte response to IRI . Wistar rats were fed vitamin D‐free or standard diets for 35 days. On day 28, rats were randomized into four groups: control, vitamin D deficient ( VDD ), bilateral IRI , and VDD + IRI . Indices of renal injury and recovery were evaluated for up to 7 days following the surgical procedures. VDD rats showed reduced capillary density (by cablin staining), even in the absence of renal I/R. In comparison with VDD and IRI rats, VDD + IRI rats manifested a significant exacerbation of capillary rarefaction as well as higher urinary volume, kidney weight/body weight ratio, tissue injury scores, fibroblast‐specific protein‐1, and alpha‐smooth muscle actin. VDD + IRI rats also had higher numbers of infiltrating activated CD 4 + and CD 8 + cells staining for interferon gamma and interleukin‐17, with a significant elevation in the Th17/T‐regulatory cell ratio. These data suggest that vitamin D deficiency impairs renal repair responses to I/R injury, exacerbates changes in renal capillary density, as well as promoting fibrosis and inflammation, which may contribute to the transition from AKI to CKD .