Oral Administration of Vitamin D3 Prevents Corneal Damage in a Knock-Out Mouse Model of Sjogren's Syndrome.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with dry eye development during Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Here, we investigated whether repeated oral vitamin D3 supplementation could prevent the corneal epithelium damage in an SS mouse model.

Methods

30 female mouse knock-out for the thrombospondin 1 gene were randomized (six per group) in untreated mice euthanized at 6 weeks as negative control (C-) or at 12 weeks as the positive control for dry eye (C+). Other mice were sacrificed after 6 weeks of oral vitamin D3 supplementation in the drinking water (1000, 8000, and 20,000 IU/kg/week, respectively).

Results

The C+ mice showed alterations in their corneal epithelial morphologies and thicknesses (p < 0.01 vs. C-), while the mice receiving 8000 (M) and 20,00

SUBMITTER: Trotta MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9953695 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature