Modulation of Intestinal Immune and Barrier Functions by Vitamin A: Implications for Current Understanding of Malnutrition and Enteric Infections in Children
by
Pedro Henrique Q. S. De Medeiros 1,2, Daniel V. Pinto 3, Juliana Zani De Almeida 3, Juliana M. C. Rêgo 3,4, Francisco A. P. Rodrigues 1
, Aldo Ângelo M. Lima 1, David T. Bolick 2, Richard L. Guerrant 2 and Reinaldo B. Oriá 2,3,*
Pedro Henrique Q. S. De Medeiros 1,2, Daniel V. Pinto 3, Juliana Zani De Almeida 3, Juliana M. C. Rêgo 3,4, Francisco A. P. Rodrigues 1, Aldo Ângelo M. Lima 1, David T. Bolick 2, Richard L. Guerrant 2 and Reinaldo B. Oriá 2,3,*
1
Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza 60430-270 CE, Brazil
2
Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
3
Laboratory of Tissue Healing, Ontogeny and Nutrition, Department of Morphology and the Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza 60430-270 CE, Brazil
4
Department of Nutrition, Christus University Center, Fortaleza 60190-060 CE, Brazil
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2018, 10(9), 1128; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091128
Received: 12 July 2018 / Revised: 11 August 2018 / Accepted: 17 August 2018 / Published: 21 August 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin A, Infectious Diseases and the Immune Function)
The micronutrient vitamin A refers to a group of compounds with pleiotropic effects on human health. These molecules can modulate biological functions, including development, vision, and regulation of the intestinal barrier. The consequences of vitamin A deficiency and supplementation in children from developing countries have been explored for several years. These children live in an environment that is highly contaminated by enteropathogens, which can, in turn, influence vitamin A status. Vitamin A has been described to modulate gene expression, differentiation and function of diverse immune cells; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated. This review aims to summarize the most updated advances on elucidating the vitamin A effects targeting intestinal immune and barrier functions, which may help in further understanding the burdens of malnutrition and enteric infections in children. Specifically, by covering both clinical and in vivo/in vitro data, we describe the effects of vitamin A related to gut immune tolerance/homeostasis, intestinal barrier integrity, and responses to enteropathogens in the context of the environmental enteric dysfunction. Some of the gaps in the literature that require further research are also highlighted.
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Keywords:
vitamin A supplementation; vitamin A deficiency; intestinal immune response; intestinal barrier function; enteric infections
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MDPI and ACS Style
De Medeiros, P.H.Q.S.; Pinto, D.V.; De Almeida, J.Z.; Rêgo, J.M.C.; Rodrigues, F.A.P.; Lima, A.Â.M.; Bolick, D.T.; Guerrant, R.L.; Oriá, R.B. Modulation of Intestinal Immune and Barrier Functions by Vitamin A: Implications for Current Understanding of Malnutrition and Enteric Infections in Children. Nutrients 2018, 10, 1128.
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