Ameliorative Effect of Exogenous Calcitriol Treatment Against Muscle Injury in Myositis-Induced Rats
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Abstract
Aim: Calcitriol (vitamin D3) is a metabolite of vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for human health and plays a role in various biological processes in the body. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of Calcitriol in rats with valproic acid-induced myositis.
Materials and Methods: A total of 24 Wistar Albino rats weighing 250-350 g and 20 weeks old were included in the study. The rats were divided into three groups: the Control group (n=8), the Valproic acid (Myositis) group (n=8), and the Myositis + Calcitriol 200 ng/kg/day group (n=8). Oral valproic acid (VPA) (500 mg/kg/day) was used for myositis induction for 14 days. On the 15th day, euthanasia was performed. The gastrocnemius muscle of each animal was dissected and histopathologically examined in the pathology laboratory. In addition, Caspase3 levels were obtained immunohistochemically, and apoptosis was evaluated. The results obtained were compared statistically.
Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the groups regarding congestion, degeneration, necrosis, inflammation, and disorganization (p<0.01). There was also a statistically significant difference in Caspase3 (Kruskal Wallis test; H=20.535; p=0.0001<0.01). This difference was p<0.01 between Valproic Acid and Vitamin D groups, similar to the others.
Conclusion: In this study, we demonstrated the healing efficacy of Calcitriol in damaged muscle tissues in rats with myositis. Thus, Calcitriol may contribute positively to the healing of muscle damage by monitoring vitamin D levels and using appropriate supplements in case of deficiency.