Developmental vitamin D deficiency alters multiple neurotransmitter systems in the neonatal rat brain

Abstract

Our results confirm that DVD deficiency leads to changes in multiple neurotransmitter systems in the neonate brain. Importantly, this regionally-based assessment in DVD-deficient neonates identified both widespread neurotransmitter changes (glutamine/noradrenaline) and regionally selective neurotransmitter changes (dopamine/serotonin). Thus, vitamin D may have both general and local actions depending on the neurotransmitter system being investigated. Taken together, these data suggest that DVD deficiency alters neurotransmitter systems relevant to schizophrenia in the developing rat brain.

Association of maternal vitamin D deficiency and infants' neurodevelopmental status: A cohort study on vitamin D and its impact during pregnancy and childhood in Indonesia

“…These receptors could be found in certain brain regions, such as the temporal lobe, cingulata, thalamus, cerebellum, amygdala and hippocampus area . Other functions of vitamin D on brain development are preventing oxidative stress, regulating neurotrophin factors, calcium balance and neurotransmitters …”

“…Calcitriol can affect brain development by affecting the production of cytokines and affecting neurotransmitters and synaptic plasticity which ultimately influence the learning process and neurocognitive development. Besides that, it can also affect dopamine activity in the ventral midbrain, which is known to play an important role in modulating motor development …”

Vitamin D status and correlates of low vitamin D in schizophrenia, other psychoses and non-psychotic depression – The Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 study

“…Vitamin D receptor is widely expressed in human brain being most abundant in the hypothalamus and substantia nigra (Eyles et al, 2005). Vitamin D has been reported to regulate multiple neurotransmission pathways both in regional and general level, including dopamine, serotonin, noradrenalin and glutamine (Kesby et al, 2017). For example, prenatal vitamin D has found to regulate tyrosine metabolism and thereby dopaminergic pathways (Cui et al, 2015).…”

Cord blood vitamin D is correlated with problem solving domain in early childhood neurodevelopment: A Cohort Study on Vitamin D Status and Its Impact during Pregnancy and Childhood in Indonesia

“…14,15 Calcitriol also works by affecting the production of cytokines and affecting neurotransmitters and synaptic plasticity, which play important roles in the learning process and neurocognitive development. 15,16 Fetal brain development starts during early period of pregnancy. Some parts of the brain will develop rapidly in the last trimester, and the process of differentiation and synaptogenesis will develop up to post-natal period with the critical time in the first 1000 days of life.…”