The independent effects of vitamin D deficiency and house dust mite exposure on lung function are sex-specific

Vitamin D defciency is increasing around the world and has been associated with the development of asthma. This study aims to evaluate the efect of dietary vitamin D defciency at diferent life stages on lung function using a murine model of allergic airways disease. BALB/c mice were challenged intranasally with HDM or saline alone for 10 days. Twenty four hours after the last challenge, mice were anesthetized and lung function was measured using the forced oscillation technique (FOT). Mice were euthanized for assessment of infammation in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and total collagen content in lung homogenates by ELISA. Vitamin D defciency impaired lung function in both male and female mice, increasing tissue damping and elastance, however had no efect on HDM induced infammation. The impact of vitamin D defciency was more evident in females. HDM also decreased airway distensibility, but only in females and this response was not altered by vitamin D defciency. Our data suggest that vitamin D defciency and HDM exposure have independent efects on lung mechanics and that females are more susceptible to these efects. Vitamin D defciency may exacerbate lung function defcits by having a direct, but independent, efect on parenchymal mechanics.