The purpose of the study is to investigate in vivo whether a high-dose vitamin D3 oral bolus (2000 micrograms) produces marked vitamin D receptor target gene expression response and whether there is large inter-individual variation. These effects are compared to in vitro treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from these subjects with 25(OH)D.
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 \[25(OH)D3\] is a well-established marker for vitamin D status of the human body. In addition to the general importance of vitamin D for bone health, low serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations have been associated with increased risk of several health outcomes, such as autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications. However, there is significant inter-individual variation in the average serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations and also in the response to supplementation with vitamin D. Genetic and epigenetic factors have been suggested to be responsible for a large part of the variation, but currently there is little information about the health effects of the variation. In our previous studies VitDmet (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01479933) and VitDbol (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02063334) we showed that the participants can be classified into high, mid and low responders to vitamin D and defined the new biomarker "vitamin D response index". Some 25% of the population seem to be low responders and are under higher risk to suffer from insufficient supplementation with vitamin D. The current study will focus on low vitamin D responders (among the 40 healthy individuals recruited in the study, 20-60 years old), i.e. it will use the same oral vitamin D3 bolus (2,000 µg, i.e. 80,000 IU in one day) as in our VitDbol study, in order to identify low vitamin D responders. By in vitro treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of low responders with 25(OH)D3 for 24 h (in comparison to in vitro stimulations with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 \[1,25(OH)2D3\] and in vivo vitamin D3 supplementation of the same subjects) we will obtain samples that allow the transcriptome-wide investigation of changes in gene expression. The underlying hypothesis of this study is that a stimulation with 25(OH)D3 is more efficient than a treatment with vitamin D3, so that in future low vitamin D responders may be supplemented with 25(OH)D3 rather than with vitamin D3.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
40
In total 20 pills will be taken by the subjects, each containing 100 micrograms of vitamin D3, resulting in the total amount of 2000 micrograms of vitamin D3. Of the 20 pills, 10 will be taken in the morning with breakfast and 10 with lunch.
University of Eastern Finland
Kuopio, Finland
In vivo change from baseline in vitamin D target gene expression in the subjects
Effect of 2000 microgram vitamin D3 dose on the expression of vitamin D receptor target genes
Time frame: 24 hours after the baseline
In vitro change from baseline in vitamin D target gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells
Effects of treatment of cells for 24 h with 100 nM of 25(OH)D3, 1 nM of 1,25(OH)2D3 or vehicle (solvent) on the expression of vitamin D receptor target genes
Time frame: 24 hours after the baseline
In vivo change from baseline in serum 25(OH)D concentration
Effect of 2000 microgram vitamin D3 dose on serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations
Time frame: 24 hours after the baseline
In vivo change from baseline in serum calcium concentration (safety and tolerability)
Effect of 2000 microgram vitamin D3 dose on in vivo changes in serum calcium concentrations
Time frame: 24 hours after the baseline
In vivo change from baseline in serum alanine transaminase concentration (safety and tolerability)
Effect of 2000 microgram vitamin D3 dose on in vivo changes in serum alanine transaminase (ALAT) concentrations
Time frame: 24 hours after the baseline
In vivo change from baseline in serum gamma-glutamyl transferase concentration (safety and tolerability)
Effect of 2000 microgram vitamin D3 dose on in vivo changes in serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) concentrations
Time frame: 24 hours after the baseline
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In vivo change from baseline in serum creatinine concentration (safety and tolerability)
Effect of 2000 microgram vitamin D3 dose on in vivo changes in serum creatinine concentrations
Time frame: 24 hours after the baseline