Effects of vitamin D on myelin basic protein expression in corpus callosum of mouse model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced by Cuprizone

Aims: In this study, the effects of Vitamin D3 on total protein concentration (TPC) and MBP expression in the corpus callosum extracts of Cuprizone induced demyelinated mouse has been investigated.
Material and The mice were treated by Cuprizone for five weeks in order to induce demyelination. Then, the mice were divided into 3 groups. The first group was injected intraperitoneally (IP) by vitamin D3 in the amount of 5 µg/kg/daily body weight. The second group (SHAM) was injected IP by phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and the third group was left without injection as controls. After five weeks, the mice were killed and the corpus callosum was collected and the total protein concentration (TPC) and expression of MBP were studied by Western blot technique.
No significant variation in the cortical TPC was seen in vitamin D3 injected group as compared to either SHAM or controls. We have also shown that the expression of MBP in the corpus callosum extracts of demyelinated mouse was significantly increased in the vitamin D3 injected group as compared to the other groups.
It is concluded that vitamin D3 increases MBP expression in the corpus callosum of cuprizone-induced demyelination mice. It is also suggested that vitamin D3 may play a role in the process of remyelination by increasing MBP expression in the cortex.