Background: Daily dietary calcium intake below the requirements has been related to lowlevels of vitamin D (Vit-D) and osteoarticular diseases. Objective: To determine the prevalence of Vit-D deficiency in the general population living in Bogotá, its relationship to dietary calcium intake, and the influence of socio-demographic factors and sunlight exposure. Materials and methods: In a pro-spective cohort of the general population (randomly selected), excluding individuals with conditions affecting calcium absorption or adequate Vit-D action, the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D (95 % ci) and regular consumption of calcium (rci, mg/day) is measured according to socio-demographic, anthropometric, biochemical, and sunlight exposure variables. A multiple regression model is implemented (no intercept) to predict Vit-D concentration based on the factors described. Results: Ninety-seven patients are included, 61 % of which are women, with a median age of 23 years, a weight of 65 kg (iqr: 55.2–70.5), a height of 165 cm ± 8.9, and bmi of 22.8 kg/m2 (iqr: 21.2–25.2). The rci was 393.7 mg/day, less than the benchmark for Colombian adults (p < 0.001); serum calcium concentration was 9.7 mg/dL. The mean Vit-D concentration (95 % ci) was 23.7 ng/mL (22.6–24.7); hypovitaminosis D was identified in 87 % of the sample (80.6–94.7 %), 24.7 % were classified as poor (15.6–33.8 %) and 62.9 % as insufficient (52.8–73 %). Vit-D concentration was predicted in a quadratic function by the interaction between sex, sunlight exposure, and rci (R2 > 90 %). Conclusion: The suspected high prevalence of Vit-D deficiency is confirmed in the general Colombian adult population as a result of low dietary calcium intake, demographic factors, and sunlight exposure.

Expression of sialic acid is altered in Diabetes mellitus. This modification has also been involved with both vascular and neurologic diseases, and with the increase of no enzymatic glycosylation of proteins. In our opinion, the lectins were very useful with specificity for sialic acids in order to determine the level of sialic acid expression on cerebral microcirculation in a diabetic Wistar rat model with streptozotocin. In this model, the glycine (1%) and taurine (0.5%) aminoacids were placed in drinking‐water by six months. At the end of this time, the animals were sacrificed, their brains surgically removed and frozen in liquid nitrogen, and the specimens cut in serial sections. Immediately, the sections were incubated with different biotin‐labelled lectins specific to sialic acid using peroxidase‐labelled avidin as second ligand and H2O2 chromogen. The results showed greater O‐acetyl sialic acid expression in cerebral capillaries of untreated diabetic rats than in glycine‐, taurine‐treated diabetic rats or than in control animals. The minor sialic acid expression may be an indicator of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or the vascular disease of diabetic patients and probably is related to cellular protective properties of the glycine and taurine aminoacids. These first protective characteristics that have been observed in both ischemia with cellular ATP depletion models, suggest the utilization of aminoacids glycine or taurine in diabetic patient in order to avoid the development of microinfarcts.