25-Hydroxyvitamin D3-deficiency enhances oxidative stress and corticosteroid resistance in severe asthma exacerbation

PLoS One. 2014 Nov 7;9(11):e111599. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111599. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Oxidative stress plays a significant role in exacerbation of asthma. The role of vitamin D in oxidative stress and asthma exacerbation remains unclear. We aimed to determine the relationship between vitamin D status and oxidative stress in asthma exacerbation. Severe asthma exacerbation patients with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-deficiency (V-D deficiency) or 25-hydroxyvitamin D-sufficiency (V-D sufficiency) were enrolled. Severe asthma exacerbation with V-D-deficiency showed lower forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) compared to that with V-D-sufficiency. V-D-deficiency intensified ROS release and DNA damage and increased TNF-α, OGG1 and NFκB expression and NFκB phosphorylation in severe asthma exacerbation. Supplemental vitamin D3 significantly increased the rates of FEV1 change and decreased ROS and DNA damage in V-D-deficiency. Vitamin D3 inhibited LPS-induced ROS and DNA damage and were associated with a decline in TNF-α and NFκB in epithelial cells. H2O2 reduces nuclear translocation of glucocorticoid receptors in airway epithelial cell lines. V-D pretreatment enhanced the dexamethasone-induced nuclear translocation of glucocorticoid receptors in airway epithelial cell lines and monocytes from 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-deficiency asthma patients. These findings indicate that V-D deficiency aggravates oxidative stress and DNA damage, suggesting a possible mechanism for corticosteroid resistance in severe asthma exacerbation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / drug effects
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / pharmacology*
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use
  • Asthma / drug therapy*
  • Asthma / genetics
  • Asthma / metabolism*
  • Asthma / physiopathology
  • Calcifediol / deficiency*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Nucleus / drug effects
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • DNA Damage
  • Dexamethasone / pharmacology*
  • Dexamethasone / therapeutic use
  • Drug Resistance*
  • Epithelial Cells / cytology
  • Epithelial Cells / drug effects
  • Female
  • Forced Expiratory Volume / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects*
  • Receptors, Glucocorticoid / metabolism
  • Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism

Substances

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • NF-kappa B
  • Receptors, Glucocorticoid
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Dexamethasone
  • Superoxide Dismutase
  • Calcifediol

Grants and funding

This project was supported by Chinese National Science Foundation Grant 81170032. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.