Vitamin d deficiency reduces the immune response, phagocytosis rate, and intracellular killing rate of microglial cells

Infect Immun. 2014 Jun;82(6):2585-94. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01814-14. Epub 2014 Mar 31.

Abstract

Meningitis and meningoencephalitis caused by Escherichia coli are associated with high rates of mortality and neurological sequelae. A high prevalence of neurological disorders has been observed in geriatric populations at risk of hypovitaminosis D. Vitamin D has potent effects on human immunity, including induction of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and suppression of T-cell proliferation, but its influence on microglial cells is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of vitamin D deficiency on the phagocytosis rate, intracellular killing, and immune response of murine microglial cultures after stimulation with the Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists tripalmitoyl-S-glyceryl-cysteine (TLR1/2), poly(I·C) (TLR3), lipopolysaccharide (TLR4), and CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (TLR9). Upon stimulation with high concentrations of TLR agonists, the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) was decreased in vitamin D-deficient compared to that in vitamin D-sufficient microglial cultures. Phagocytosis of E. coli K1 after stimulation of microglial cells with high concentrations of TLR3, -4, and -9 agonists and intracellular killing of E. coli K1 after stimulation with high concentrations of all TLR agonists were lower in vitamin D-deficient microglial cells than in the respective control cells. Our observations suggest that vitamin D deficiency may impair the resistance of the brain against bacterial infections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Calcifediol / blood
  • Cell Survival
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chemokines / metabolism
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Escherichia coli / physiology*
  • Immunity, Innate / physiology*
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Meningitis, Escherichia coli / immunology
  • Meningitis, Escherichia coli / physiopathology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Microglia / drug effects
  • Microglia / microbiology
  • Microglia / physiology*
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism
  • Phagocytosis / physiology*
  • Toll-Like Receptors / agonists
  • Vitamin D / physiology*
  • Vitamin D Deficiency* / immunology

Substances

  • Chemokines
  • Cytokines
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Toll-Like Receptors
  • Vitamin D
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Calcifediol