Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 May 13;14(10):2041.
doi: 10.3390/nu14102041.

Vitamin-D Deficiency and Supplementation Altered the Network of the Coronary Arteries in a Rodent Model-In Situ Video Microscopic Technique

Hicham Dalloul  1 , Tobias Hainzl  2 , Anna Monori-Kiss  3 , Leila Hadjadj  3 , György L Nádasy  4 , Marianna Török  2   5 , Szabolcs Várbíró  2   5
Affiliations

Vitamin-D Deficiency and Supplementation Altered the Network of the Coronary Arteries in a Rodent Model-In Situ Video Microscopic Technique

Hicham Dalloul et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The aim of our study was to identify whether vitamin-D deficiency (VDD) can alter the geometry of the coronary-resistance-artery system. Male Wistar rats were divided into vitamin-D-deficient (VD-, n = 10) and vitamin-D-supplemented (VD+, n = 8) groups. After eight weeks, branches and segments of the left-anterior-descending-coronary-artery (LAD) network were analyzed by a video-microscopy technique. Segments were divided into 50 μm-long cylindrical ring units. VDD did not increase the number of morphological abnormalities. The number of segments did not differ between the groups (VD-: 210 and VD+: 224; pooled data of 8 networks). A larger lumen area of branches was found in VD+ group, while 1-4-order branches were lengthier in the VD- group. VD- rats had less rich coronary-resistance-artery networks in terms of 50 µm-long units. (VD-: 6365 vs. VD+: 6602; pooled data of 8 networks). VD+ animals were richer in the 100-350 µm outer diameter range, and VD- animals were richer in the 400-550 µm-diameter units. In VD- rats, 150-200 and 300 µm units were almost missing at higher flow distances from the orifice. Serum vitamin-D alterations caused by dietary changes can affect the geometry of the coronary-artery network, which may contribute to vitamin-D-dependent changes in cardiovascular mortality.

Keywords: LAD; cardiovascular disease; left-anterior-descending coronary arteries; network; video-microscopic technique; vitamin-D deficiency.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative video-microscopic images of segmental and branching analysis (A,B) and mapping of the LAD networks in a coordinate system, following 50 μm-ring-unit analysis (C,D). Note the difference between the two experimental groups in the network density of the LAD coronary artery, shown in the image and the associated coordinate system of a typical vitamin-D-deficient (A,C) and a typical vitamin-D-supplemented animal (B,D).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Segments analysis. (A) Lumen area of the segments from the VD− and VD+ animals. The lumen area of the first-order branches was significantly larger in VD+ group. (B) Flow lengths of the segments from the VD− and VD+ animals. The 1st- and 4th-order branches were lengthier in VD− rats. Values are means ± SEM. Two-tailed unpaired Student’s t-test and Mann–Whitney-test. * p < 0.05 VD− vs. VD+.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Analysis of branching. (A) Asymmetry range of daughter branches (ratio of outer diameters). The asymmetry index (with increasing branching angle) was significantly elevated only in VD+ groups (with Pearson correlation, p < 0.05). (B) The Murray law. Branches are obeying the Murray law.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Analysis of ring units. (A) Number of 50 µm ring units as a function of different diameter ranges. In VD− networks, the number of rings decreased in the range of 100–300 µm (except at 250 µm), and the number of rings increased in the range of 400–550 µm. Normalized in 8/8 rats. Significantly different with the Chi-probe (p < 0.05). (B) Wall thickness of 50 µm ring units as a function of different diameter ranges. Wall thickness was increased in the 50, 350, 500, 550 and 650 µm range in VD− group. However, the wall thickness was bigger in the 200, 250, 300, 450 and 600 µm range in VD+ group. Values are means ± SEM. Mann–Whitney-test. * p < 0.05 VD− vs. VD+.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Frequency of ring units (color-coded) for different diameters and flow distances from the orifice. Note that in VD− rats a new population of 250 µm units appears at a 6–9 mm flow distance from the orifice, while at the same locations there is a diminishment of 350 µm units. In VD− rats, 150–200 and 300 µm units are almost missing at 10–15 mm flow distances.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Mccollum E.V., Pitz W., Simmonds N., Becker J.E., Shipley P.G., Bunting R.W. Studies on experimental rickets: XXI. An experimental demonstration of the existence of a vitamin which promotes calcium deposition. J. Biol. Chem. 1922;53:293–312. doi: 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)85783-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pike J.W., Christakos S. Biology and Mechanisms of Action of the Vitamin D Hormone. Endocrinol. Metab. Clin. N. Am. 2017;46:815–843. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2017.07.001. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Montenegro K.R., Cruzat V., Carlessi R., Newsholme P. Mechanisms of vitamin D action in skeletal muscle. Nutr. Res. Rev. 2019;32:192–204. doi: 10.1017/S0954422419000064. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gil Á., Plaza-Diaz J., Mesa M.D. Vitamin D: Classic and Novel Actions. Ann. Nutr. Metab. 2018;72:87–95. doi: 10.1159/000486536. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dusso A.S., Brown A.J., Slatopolsky E. Vitamin D. Am. J. Physiol. Renal. Physiol. 2005;289:F8–F28. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00336.2004. - DOI - PubMed