Efeitos da dieta restrita em vitamina D administrada durante os períodos perinatal e pós-natal no pênis de ratos Wistar

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and children is a health problem that has been observed in many parts of the world. Maternal inadequacy of vitamin D affects both the health of the mother and the fetus, and has an impact on the development of chronic diseases in adulthood. The present study evaluated the effects of vitamin D restricted diet administered in the perinatal and postnatal periods in adult Wistar rats penis morphology. Wistar female were separated into two groups: standard diet (SC AIN93G) and vitamin D restricted diet (VitD AIN93G). At weaning, the offspring were divided according to the maternal diet: SC/SC (from SC mothers, fed with SC diet) and VitD/VitD (from VitD mothers, fed with VitD diet). Biometric and biochemical data were evaluated and a histochemical and immunohistochemical analyzes of the penis were also performed. Vitamin D restricted diet promoted fasting hyperglycemia (+86.42%; P=0.0096), glucose intolerance (+12.02%; p=0.0180), hyperinsulinemia (+53.80%, p=0.0072), increased HOMA-IR (+87.51%, p <0.0001), elevation of systolic blood pressure (+15.30, p<0.0001) and reduction of serum vitamin D levels (-61.00%, p<0.0001). Concerning the morphology of the penis, the VitD diet decreased the following areas: cross sectional area (-5.45%; p=0.0083), corpus cavernosum with (-7.01%; p=0.0007) and without tunica albugínea (-5.70%; p=0.0133), tunica albuginea (-8.55%, p=0.0001) and deep dorsal vein (-47.28%, p=0.0004). In addition, vitamin D restriction induced an increase in the percentage of connective tissue (+9.52%, p<0.0001), smooth muscle (+25.19%, p<0.0001), and cell proliferation (+17.39%, p=0.0161) in the corpus cavernosum. The VitD diet increased the percentage of connective tissue (+16.23%, p<0.001) and smooth muscle (+21.06%, p=0.0074) in the corpus spongiosum. On the other hand, this same diet reduced the sinusoidal spaces (-21.54%, p=0.0002) and elastic fibers (-14.83%, p=0.0009) in the corpus cavernosum, as well as reduced the number of elastic fibers in the tunica albuginea of the corpus spongiosum (-11.86%, <0.001). In the data evaluated in the dorsal artery, the VitD diet increased the area of the tunica media (+45.82%, p=0.0156) and reduced the lumen area (-47.28%, p=0.0040). Restriction of vitamin D reduced elastic fibers (+30.26%, p=0.0073) and decreased the height of the internal elastic limiting lamina (-28.11%, p<0.001) of the dorsal artery. The diet without vitamin D increased the percentage of vessels in the corpus cavernosum (+43.44%, p=0.0061) and corpus spongiosum (+53.57%, p<0.0001). In addition, it also reduced the percentage of vessels (-26.47%, p=0.0470) and nerves (-24.43%, p<0.0001) in the dorsal region of the penis. The results showed that vitamin D restriction in the perinatal and postnatal periods promotes structural and quantitative changes in the constituent elements of the penis of offspring, indicating the importance of adequate serum levels of vitamin D during gestation, lactation and postnatal life, to maintain the integrity of the penile morphology in adults.