Treatment of an intramammary bacterial infection with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3

• Published in: PloS one 2011-10, Vol.6 (10), p.e25479
• Main Authors: Lippolis, John D, Reinhardt, Timothy A, Sacco, Randy A, Nonnecke, Brian J, Nelson, Corwin D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 25-hydroxycholecalciferol; Agriculture; Animal diseases; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; antimicrobial proteins; Bacteria; Bacterial infections; Biology; Calcitriol; Compartments; cows; Gene expression; Glands; Health risks; Homeostasis; Immune clearance; Immune system; Immunology; Infection; Infections; Infectious diseases; Influenza; Influenza A; lactation; Mammary gland; Mammary glands; Mastitis; Metabolites; Milk; Multiple sclerosis; Mycobacterium; plate count; Proteins; Respiratory tract; Respiratory tract diseases; risk; Serratia marcescens; Serum levels; Streptococcus; Studies; Synthesis; Tuberculosis; Veterinary Science; Vitamin D; Vitamin D3; vitamin deficiencies; vitamin supplements
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025479

Deficiency of serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 has been correlated with increased risk of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and influenza. A plausible reason for this association is that expression of genes encoding important antimicrobial proteins depends on concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 produced by activated immune cells at sites of infection, and that synthesis of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is dependent on the availability of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3. Thus, increasing the availability of 25(OH)D3 for immune cell synthesis of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 at sites of infection has been hypothesized to aid in clearance of the infection. This report details the treatment of an acute intramammary infection with infusion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 to the site of infection. Ten lactating cows were infected with in one quarter of their mammary glands. Half of the animals were treated intramammary with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 treated animal showed significantly lower bacterial counts in milk and showed reduced symptomatic affects of the mastitis. It is significant that treatment with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 reduced the severity of an acute bacterial infection. This finding suggested a significant non-antibiotic complimentary role for 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in the treatment of infections in compartments naturally low in 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 such as the mammary gland and by extension, possibly upper respiratory tract infections.