Adult skeletal muscle has a remarkable ability to regenerate following trauma. Because adult myofibers are terminally differentiated, the regeneration of skeletal muscle is largely dependent on a small population of resident cells termed satellite cells. The contribution of immune cells (i.e. macrophages and lymphocytes) in regulating satellite cell migration, proliferation and differentiation is a major process of muscle regeneration (1). Fundamentally, pro-inflammatory cytokines (notably Interleukin (IL)-6) produced by immune cells promote muscle cell proliferation, whereas anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) activate muscle cell differentiation (2, 3).
Muscle regeneration is a tightly coordinated process composed of four consecutive interlinked phases: (i) necrosis, (ii) inflammation, (iii) activation and differentiation of satellite cells i.e., muscle stem cells, in myocytes and (iv) fusion of myocytes and maturation of newly formed myofibers (4). Alternatively, after activation and proliferation, satellite cells return to their quiescent state until the next regeneration process (5). The signaling pathways and the transcription factors orchestrating muscle regeneration have been studied extensively. In sum, myogenesis is controlled by the sequential action of lineage determination markers (i.e., Pax3/Pax7) that act together with Six and with Myocyte enhancer factor-2 (Mef2) proteins to regulate muscle gene expression. Pax7 and Pax3 are thought to be the principal regulators of muscle cell specification and tissue (6, 7). Satellite cells can be activated by numerous signals from the regenerative microenvironment, including those mediated by adhesion molecules or by growth factors as well as cytokines produced by neighboring cells such as resident immune cells (7).
Vitamin D seems a likely candidate to stimulate muscle recovery and performance, as muscle and immune cells are preferred targets of this nutrient (8). The infusion of vitamin D in vivo led to an increase in muscle regeneration in different experimental models (9). Moreover, it is known to shift the T-cell response from a T helper 1 (Th1) to a Th2-mediated one, which reduces inflammation and promotes an immunosuppressive state (10) by decreasing the production of type 1 cytokines (IL-6, Interferon-γ (IFN-γ)) and increasing the production of type 2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-10) (11).
A recent clinical trial has failed to support the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation on physical performance and infection rates in older adults (12). In contrast, epidemiologic studies have shown that circulating 25(OH)D level and muscle strength/function are positively correlated suggesting that a target of vitamin D is the skeletal muscle (13). Indeed, skeletal L6 muscle cells have been demonstrated to express the 1 α-hydroxylase enzyme (CYP27B1) and therefore are able to metabolize 25(OH)D in 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D or calcitriol) which interacts with VDR (14).
In vitro studies have established that 25(OH)2D positively controls muscle anabolism and inhibits muscle cell proliferation, but stimulates myogenesis (15).
Furthermore, PBMCs including monocytes, T and B cells, express VDR and CYP27B1 enzyme and most likely contribute to the majority of the 1,25(OH)2D formed locally in the tissues (16, 17). 1,25(OH)2D plays numerous roles through both genomic and non-genomic pathways (8, 18). The genomic effects of 1,25(OH)2D are mediated by an interaction with a cytoplasmic nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR) from the superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors. The 1,25(OH)2D-VDR forms an heterodimeric complex with the Retinoid-X-Receptor (RXR) and regulates the expression of target genes with a vitamin D response element (VDRE) in their promoter. The non-genomic effects, still poorly understood, are initiated by the binding of 1,25(OH)2D to a distinct membrane receptor (mVDR) (19). This complex, after internalization, induces the entry of calcium via activation of calcium channels and thus activate the protein kinase C (PKC). Subsequently, this stimulates the activation of the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) and Extracellular-Regulated Protein Kinase (ERK) pathways (8, 20).
There is evidence of VDR expression and a direct effect of vitamin D on precursor (15, 21) and mature skeletal muscle cells (22), which provides a rationale for a role of vitamin D in muscle function. Our team have demonstrated that, in old rats, vitamin D deficiency down-regulates the Notch pathway, known to play a leading role in muscle regeneration (23). Furthermore, mice lacking VDRs show an abnormal skeletal muscle phenotype with smaller, variable muscle fibers and the persistence of immature muscle gene expression during adult life, suggesting a role of vitamin D in muscle development (22).
Taking into account these data, we planned to characterize the impact of 25(OH)D on the transcriptional response of muscle cells in presence of mononuclear cells. For this, we assessed the influence of 25(OH)D on L6 myogenic cell co-cultured with fresh mononuclear cells isolated from rat’s blood by evaluating (i) the muscle differentiation and metabolism markers by transcriptomic analysis and (ii) cytokine production.