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A Commemorative Issue in Honor of 110th of the Formulation of Vitamins-Vitamins and Health and Disease

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Micronutrients and Human Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 42106

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Prof. Dr. Dariusz Nowak

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Department of Clinical Physiology, Medical University of Lodz, Mazowiecka 6/8, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
Interests: antioxidant vitamins; plant polyphenols; exercise physiology; markers of oxidative stress; whole blood and neutrophils chemiluminescence; lung cancer; exhaled breath condensate; noninvasive markers of oxidative stress and pulmonary malignancy; dietary interventions to enhance antioxidant activity of plasma
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Prof. Dr. Boleslaw T. Karwowski

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DNA Damage Laboratory of Food Science Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
Interests: DNA damage and repair; oligonucleotides and analogues synthesis; nucleic acids biochemistry; NMR; theoretical chemistry; DNA charge transfer; antioxidants; nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The year 2022 marks the 110th anniversary of the discovery of vitamins. In 1912, the Polish scientist Kazimierz Funk published the results of his research at London’s Lister Institute in the article “The etiology of the deficiency diseases”, which established the existence of vitamins in nutrition. Before then, for decades food was thought to be composed of proteins, carbohydrates, ash and water. This theory accompanied the common understanding of the microbiological etiology of variety of diseases. However, everything changed with the observation that a diet containing rice bran prevented beriberi in chickens. The water-soluble complex of micronutrients from rice bran, named oryzanin by Umetaro Suzuki, was used successfully to treat polyneuritis. Funk further refined its main component and concluded that it was an organic compound containing a nitrogen atom (an amine) which we know today as vitamin B1 or thiamine. Since then, over a dozen groups of vitamins have been identified, most of which are water-soluble, apart from vitamins A, D, E and K, which are lipophilic. These minute molecules have been recognized as enzyme cofactors, hormone precursors, modulators of signal transduction and antioxidants, and are vital in trace amounts for maintaining a stable homeostasis. A lack of vitamins can result in various medical conditions, including scurvy, beriberi, rickets, pellagra and night blindness, and predispose to osteoporosis, immunodeficiency, hemorrhagic diathesis and increased risk of cancer. More than a century later, with the growth in convenience foods and metabolism problems, the overuse of diet supplements, and of course the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of vitamins in our diet cannot be underestimated. A Special Issue of Nutrients has been arranged to mark the anniversary of the discovery of vitamins, and fellow members of the scientific community are warmly invited to submit a manuscript (regular articles, communications, reviews) for publication.

Prof. Dr. Dariusz Nowak
Prof. Dr. Boleslaw T. Karwowski
Guest Editors

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Keywords

vitamins
Kazimierz Funk
hormone precursors
modulators of signal transduction
antioxidants
DNA damage and repair
diseases related to vitamin deficiency (e.g., scurvy, beriberi, rickets, pellagra, night blindness, predisposition to osteoporosis, immunodeficiency, hemorrhagic diathesis and increased risk of cancer)

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 559 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Serum 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Levels in Children with Acute Respiratory Infections Caused by Respiratory Virus or Atypical Pathogen Infection

by Lu Kuang, Zhuofu Liang, Changbing Wang, Tao Lin, Yingying Zhang and Bing Zhu

Nutrients 2023, 15(6), 1486; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15061486 - 20 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2300

Abstract

We aimed to clarify the involvement of vitamin D status in virus or atypical pathogens infection in children with acute respiratory infections (ARIs). In this retrospective study, 295 patients with ARIs were attacked by a respiratory virus or a single atypical pathogen; 17 patients with ARIs induced by two pathogens, and 636 healthy children were included. Serum 25(OH)D levels of all children were measured. Oropharyngeal samples of the patients for viruses or atypical pathogens were studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In our studies, 58.98% of the 295 single-infected subjects and 76.47% of the 17 co-infected subjects had 25(OH)D levels below the recommended 50.0 nmol/L; the mean 25(OH)D levels were 48.48 ± 19.91 nmol/L and 44.12 ± 12.78 nmol/L. Low serum 25(OH)D levels were remarkable in patients with one of seven viruses or atypical pathogens infected. These results were significantly different from those in the healthy group. There were no significant differences in 25(OH)D levels between single infection and co-infection groups. There were no differences in severity among means of 25(OH)D levels. Female or >6-year-old children patients with low serum 25(OH)D levels were more vulnerable to pathogenic respiratory pathogens. However, serum 25(OH)D levels may be related to the recovery of ARIs. These findings provide additional evidence for the development of strategies to prevent ARIs in children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Issue in Honor of 110th of the Formulation of Vitamins-Vitamins and Health and Disease)

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19 pages, 4648 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Paricalcitol Improves the Angiopoietin/Tie-2 and VEGF/VEGFR2 Signaling Pathways in Adriamycin-Induced Nephropathy

by Amanda Lima Deluque, Beatriz Magalhães Oliveira, Cláudia Silva Souza, Ana Lívia Dias Maciel, Heloísa Della Coletta Francescato, Cleonice Giovanini, Lucas Ferreira de Almeida, Francisco José Albuquerque de Paula, Roberto Silva Costa, José Antunes-Rodrigues and Terezila Machado Coimbra

Nutrients 2022, 14(24), 5316; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14245316 - 14 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3476

Abstract

Renal endothelial cell (EC) injury and microvascular dysfunction contribute to chronic kidney disease (CKD). In recent years, increasing evidence has suggested that EC undergoes an endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT), which might promote fibrosis. Adriamycin (ADR) induces glomerular endothelial dysfunction, which leads to progressive proteinuria in rodents. The activation of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) plays a crucial role in endothelial function modulation, cell differentiation, and suppression of the expression of fibrotic markers by regulating the production of nitric oxide (NO) by activating the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) in the kidneys. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of paricalcitol treatment on renal endothelial toxicity in a model of CKD induced by ADR in rats and explore mechanisms involved in EC maintenance by eNOS/NO, angiopoietins (Angs)/endothelium cell-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (Tie-2, also known as TEK) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) axis. The results show that paricalcitol attenuated the renal damage ADR-induced with antiproteinuric effects, glomerular and tubular structure, and function protection. Furthermore, activation of the VDR promoted the maintenance of the function and structure of glomerular, cortical, and external medullary endothelial cells by regulating NO production. In addition, it suppressed the expression of the mesenchymal markers in renal tissue through attenuation of (transforming growth factor-beta) TGF-β1/Smad2/3-dependent and downregulated of Ang-2/Tie-2 axis. It regulated the VEGF/VEGFR2 pathway, which was ADR-deregulated. These effects were associated with lower AT1 expression and VDR recovery to renal tissue after paricalcitol treatment. Our results showed a protective role of paricalcitol in the renal microvasculature that could be used as a target for treating the beginning of CKD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Issue in Honor of 110th of the Formulation of Vitamins-Vitamins and Health and Disease)

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60 pages, 2819 KiB

Open AccessReview

Role of Vitamin D in Head and Neck Cancer—Immune Function, Anti-Tumour Effect, and Its Impact on Patient Prognosis

by Katarzyna Starska-Kowarska

Nutrients 2023, 15(11), 2592; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15112592 - 31 May 2023

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 8229

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) describes a heterogeneous group of human neoplasms of the head and neck with high rates of morbidity and mortality, constituting about 3% of all cancers and ~1.5% of all cancer deaths. HNSCC constituted the seventh most prevalent human malignancy and the most common human cancer in the world in 2020, according to multi-population observations conducted by the GLOBOCAN group. Since approximately 60–70% of patients present with stage III/IV neoplastic disease, HNSCC is still one of the leading causes of death in cancer patients worldwide, with an overall survival rate that is too low, not exceeding 40–60% of these patients. Despite the application of newer surgical techniques and the implementation of modern combined oncological treatment, the disease often follows a fatal course due to frequent nodal metastases and local neoplastic recurrences. The role of micronutrients in the initiation, development, and progression of HNSCC has been the subject of considerable research. Of particular interest has been vitamin D, the pleiotropic biologically active fat-soluble family of secosteroids (vitamin-D-like steroids), which constitutes a key regulator of bone, calcium, and phosphate homeostasis, as well as carcinogenesis and the further development of various neoplasms. Considerable evidence suggests that vitamin D plays a key role in cellular proliferation, angiogenesis, immunity, and cellular metabolism. A number of basic science, clinical, and epidemiological studies indicate that vitamin D has multidirectional biological effects and influences anti-cancer intracellular mechanisms and cancer risk, and that vitamin D dietary supplements have various prophylactic benefits. In the 20th century, it was reported that vitamin D may play various roles in the protection and regulation of normal cellular phenotypes and in cancer prevention and adjunctive therapy in various human neoplasms, including HNSCC, by regulating a number of intracellular mechanisms, including control of tumour cell expansion and differentiation, apoptosis, intercellular interactions, angio- and lymphogenesis, immune function, and tumour invasion. These regulatory properties mainly occur indirectly via epigenetic and transcriptional changes regulating the function of transcription factors, chromatin modifiers, non-coding RNA (ncRNAs), and microRNAs (miRs) through protein-protein interactions and signalling pathways. In this way, calcitriol enhances intercellular communication in cancer biology, restores the connection with the extracellular matrix, and promotes the epithelial phenotype; it thus counteracts the tumour-associated detachment from the extracellular matrix and inhibits the formation of metastases. Furthermore, the confirmation that the vitamin D receptor (VDR) is present in many human tissues confirmed the physiopathological significance of vitamin D in various human tumours. Recent studies indicate quantitative associations between exposure to vitamin D and the incidence of HNC, i.e., cancer risk assessment included circulating calcidiol plasma/serum concentrations, vitamin D intake, the presence of the VDR gene polymorphism, and genes involved in the vitamin D metabolism pathway. Moreover, the chemopreventive efficacy of vitamin D in precancerous lesions of the head and neck and their role as predictors of mortality, survival, and recurrence of head and neck cancer are also widely discussed. As such, it may be considered a promising potential anti-cancer agent for developing innovative methods of targeted therapy. The proposed review discusses in detail the mechanisms regulating the relationship between vitamin D and HNSCC. It also provides an overview of the current literature, including key opinion-forming systematic reviews as well as epidemiological, prospective, longitudinal, cross-sectional, and interventional studies based on in vitro and animal models of HNSCC, all of which are accessible via the PubMed/Medline/EMBASE/Cochrane Library databases. This article presents the data in line with increasing clinical credibility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Issue in Honor of 110th of the Formulation of Vitamins-Vitamins and Health and Disease)

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16 pages, 804 KiB

Open AccessReview

Vitamin K Contribution to DNA Damage—Advantage or Disadvantage? A Human Health Response

by Julia Kaźmierczak-Barańska and Bolesław T. Karwowski

Nutrients 2022, 14(20), 4219; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14204219 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 8904

Abstract

Vitamin K is the common name for a group of compounds recognized as essential for blood clotting. The group comprises phylloquinone (K1)—a 2-methyl-3-phytyl-1,4-naphthoquinone; menaquinone (K2, MK)—a group of compounds with an unsaturated side chain in position 3 of a different number of isoprene units and a 1,4-naphthoquinone group and menadione (K3, MD)—a group of synthetic, water-soluble compounds 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone. However, recent epidemiological studies suggest that vitamin K has various benefits that go beyond blood coagulation processes. A dietary intake of K1 is inversely associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer, K2 has the potential to induce a differentiation in leukemia cells or apoptosis of various types of cancer cells, and K3 has a documented anti-cancer effect. A healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables ensures an optimal supply of K1 and K2, though consumers often prefer supplements. Interestingly, the synthetic form of vitamin K—menadione—appears in the cell during the metabolism of phylloquinone and is a precursor of MK-4, a form of vitamin K2 inaccessible in food. With this in mind, the purpose of this review is to emphasize the importance of vitamin K as a micronutrient, which not only has a beneficial effect on blood clotting and the skeleton, but also reduces the risk of cancer and other pro-inflammatory diseases. A proper diet should be a basic and common preventive procedure, resulting in a healthier society and reduced burden on healthcare systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Issue in Honor of 110th of the Formulation of Vitamins-Vitamins and Health and Disease)

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11 pages, 673 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

The Problem of Vitamin D Scarcity: Cultural and Genetic Solutions by Indigenous Arctic and Tropical Peoples

by Peter Frost

Nutrients 2022, 14(19), 4071; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14194071 - 30 Sep 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3035

Abstract

Vitamin D metabolism differs among human populations because our species has adapted to different natural and cultural environments. Two environments are particularly difficult for the production of vitamin D by the skin: the Arctic, where the skin receives little solar UVB over the year; and the Tropics, where the skin is highly melanized and blocks UVB. In both cases, natural selection has favored the survival of those individuals who use vitamin D more efficiently or have some kind of workaround that ensures sufficient uptake of calcium and other essential minerals from food passing through the intestines. Vitamin D scarcity has either cultural or genetic solutions. Cultural solutions include consumption of meat in a raw or boiled state and extended breastfeeding of children. Genetic solutions include higher uptake of calcium from the intestines, higher rate of conversion of vitamin D to its most active form, stronger binding of vitamin D to carrier proteins in the bloodstream, and greater use of alternative metabolic pathways for calcium uptake. Because their bodies use vitamin D more sparingly, indigenous Arctic and Tropical peoples can be misdiagnosed with vitamin D deficiency and wrongly prescribed dietary supplements that may push their vitamin D level over the threshold of toxicity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Issue in Honor of 110th of the Formulation of Vitamins-Vitamins and Health and Disease)

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15 pages, 922 KiB

Open AccessReview

Vitamin D and Vitamin D3 Supplementation during Photodynamic Therapy: A Review

by Anna Mazur, Katarzyna Koziorowska, Klaudia Dynarowicz, David Aebisher and Dorota Bartusik-Aebisher

Nutrients 2022, 14(18), 3805; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14183805 - 15 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4033

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy is an unconventional yet increasingly common method of treating dermatological diseases and cancer that is implemented more often in adults than in children. Current clinical uses include treatment of actinic keratosis, superficial basal cell carcinomas, and acne. Despite its high efficiency, photodynamic therapy support supplements have recently been reported in the literature, including calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol), the active form of vitamin D, and vitamin D3 cholecalciferol. In clinical trials, photodynamic therapy enhanced with vitamin D or D3 supplementation has been reported for treatment of squamous cell skin cancers, actinic keratosis, and psoriasis. Experimental research on the effect of photodynamic therapy with vitamin D or D3 has also been carried out in breast cancer cell lines and in animal models. The aim of this review is to evaluate the usefulness and effectiveness of vitamin D and D3 as supports for photodynamic therapy. For this purpose, the Pubmed and Scopus literature databases were searched. The search keyword was: “vitamin D in photodynamic therapy”. In the analyzed articles (1979–2022), the authors found experimental evidence of a positive effect of vitamin D and D3 when used in conjunction with photodynamic therapy. An average of 6–30% (in one case, up to 10 times) increased response to photodynamic therapy was reported in combination with vitamin D and D3 as compared to photodynamic therapy alone. Implementing vitamin D and D3 as a supplement to photodynamic therapy is promising and may lead to further clinical trials and new clinical methodologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Issue in Honor of 110th of the Formulation of Vitamins-Vitamins and Health and Disease)

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19 pages, 1767 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Megalin and Vitamin D Metabolism—Implications in Non-Renal Tissues and Kidney Disease

by Sono S. Khan, Martin Petkovich, Rachel M. Holden and Michael A. Adams

Nutrients 2022, 14(18), 3690; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14183690 - 7 Sep 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 6298

Abstract

Megalin is an endocytic receptor abundantly expressed in proximal tubular epithelial cells and other calciotropic extrarenal cells expressing vitamin D metabolizing enzymes, such as bone and parathyroid cells. The receptor functions in the uptake of the vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) complexed to 25 hydroxyvitamin D₃ (25(OH)D₃), facilitating the intracellular conversion of precursor 25(OH)D₃ to the active 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)₂D₃). The significance of renal megalin-mediated reabsorption of 25(OH)D₃ and 1,25(OH)₂D₃ has been well established experimentally, and other studies have demonstrated relevant roles of extrarenal megalin in regulating vitamin D homeostasis in mammary cells, fat, muscle, bone, and mesenchymal stem cells. Parathyroid gland megalin may regulate calcium signaling, suggesting intriguing possibilities for megalin-mediated cross-talk between calcium and vitamin D regulation in the parathyroid; however, parathyroid megalin functionality has not been assessed in the context of vitamin D. Within various models of chronic kidney disease (CKD), megalin expression appears to be downregulated; however, contradictory results have been observed between human and rodent models. This review aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge of megalin function in the context of vitamin D metabolism, with an emphasis on extrarenal megalin, an area that clearly requires further investigation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Issue in Honor of 110th of the Formulation of Vitamins-Vitamins and Health and Disease)

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11 pages, 630 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

Very Low and High Levels of Vitamin D Are Associated with Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length in 148,321 UK Biobank Participants

by Chia-Ling Kuo, Ben Kirk, Meiruo Xiang, Luke C. Pilling, George A. Kuchel, Richard Kremer and Gustavo Duque

Nutrients 2023, 15(6), 1474; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15061474 - 19 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4733

Abstract

Background: Shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is observed in multiple age-related diseases, which are also associated with vitamin D deficiency (i.e., osteosarcopenia, neurocognitive disorders, cancer, osteoarthritis, etc.), suggesting a close association between vitamin D and LTL. In this study, we examined the relationship between vitamin D levels and LTL in older participants of the UK Biobank. Methods: Data were collected from the UK Biobank. Participants aged 60 and older (n = 148,321) were included. Baseline LTL was measured using a multiplex qPCR technique and expressed as the ratio of the telomere amplification product (T) to that of a single-copy gene (S) (T/S ratio). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) was stratified by z score and linked to LTL in a linear regression model adjusting for covariates. Results: Compared to the medium level, a low (in the range of 16.6 nmol/L, 29.7 nmol/L) or extremely low (≤16.6 nmol/L) level of serum 25OHD was associated with shorter LTL: 0.018 SD (standardized β = −0.018, 95% CI −0.033 to −0.003, p = 0.022) and 0.048 SD (standardized β = −0.048, 95% CI −0.083 to −0.014, p = 0.006), respectively. Additionally, the high serum 25OHD groups (>95.9 nmol/L) had 0.038 SD (standardized β = −0.038, 95% CI −0.072 to −0.004, p = 0.030) shorter mean LTL than the group with medium 25OHD levels. The associations above were adjusted for multiple variables. Conclusions: In this population-based study, we identified an inverted U-shape relationship between LTL and vitamin D status. Our findings could be affected by unmeasured confounders. Whether high or low vitamin D-associated shorter LTL is mechanistically related to age-related conditions remains to be elucidated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Commemorative Issue in Honor of 110th of the Formulation of Vitamins-Vitamins and Health and Disease)

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A Commemorative Issue in Honor of 110th of the Formulation of Vitamins-Vitamins and Health and Disease

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