Impact of Dietary Vitamin D on Initiation and Progression of Oral Cancer

Publication date: Available online 22 January 2020Source: The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyAuthor(s): Aparajita Verma, Vui King Vincent-Chong, Hendrik DeJong, Pamela A. Hershberger, Mukund SeshadriABSTRACTCalcitriol, the active metabolite of vitamin D, has been widely studied for its preventive and therapeutic activity against several cancers including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, the impact of dietary vitamin D supplementation on initiation and progression of OSCC is unclear. To address this gap in knowledge, we conducted preclinical trials using the 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) carcinogen model of oral carcinogenesis. Female C57BL/6 mice were maintained on one of three vitamin D diets [25 IU, 100 IU, 10,000 IU] and exposed to 4NQO in drinking water for 16 weeks followed by regular water for 10 weeks. Body weight measurements obtained through the study duration did not reveal any differences between the three diets. Animals on 100 IU diet showed lower incidence of high-grade dysplasia/OSCC and higher CD3 + T cells compared to animals on 25 IU and 10000 IU diets. Serum 25(OH)D3 levels were highest in animals on 10000 IU diet at week 0 (prior to carcinogen exposure) but showed ∼50% reduction at week 26. Histologic evaluation revealed highest incidence of OSCC in animals maintained on 10000 IU diet. Animals on 100 IU and 10000 IU diets showed higher vitamin D receptor (VDR) and CYP24A1 immunostaining in high-grade dysplastic les...
Source: The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology - Category: Biochemistry Source Type: research