Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Short-term vitamin D supplement effects on immune cells in healthy
By Jaffey, Jared A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2025·Department of Specialty Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effects of Short-Term Calcifediol Supplementation on Leukocyte Cytokine Production in Healthy Dogs: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 11 healthy dogs received either a low or high dose of calcifediol, a form of vitamin D, for a week to see how it affected their immune response. The dogs showed an increase in vitamin D levels after supplementation, and both doses helped reduce a specific inflammatory marker (IL-6) in their blood. This suggests that calcifediol may help lower inflammation in dogs. The dogs tolerated the treatment well, indicating it could be a safe option for supporting their immune health.
People also search for: dog vitamin D supplementation · calcifediol for dogs · reducing inflammation in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Vitamin D modulates the immune response in many species, including dogs. To date, research investigating the immunological effects of vitamin D in dogs is limited to in vitro studies. OBJECTIVES: Provide PO calcifediol supplementation to healthy dogs to evaluate its tolerability and assess its effect on leukocyte production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10. ANIMALS: Eleven healthy client-owned dogs with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D(25(OH)D) concentrations ≤ 30 ng/mL. METHODS: Prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study. Dogs were randomized to receive calcifediol at 2.3 μg/kg(low-dose), 4.6 μg/kg(high-dose), or placebo for 7 days and crossed over to a different treatment arm after 28-day washout periods. Serum 25(OH)Dwas measured using a modified high-performance liquid chromatography method. Whole blood cultures were performed by incubating blood with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoteichoic acid (LTA), or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) for 24 h, and TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 were measured in supernatant using a canine-specific multiplex assay. RESULTS: Both low-dose (median, interquartile range [IQR]; 62 ng/mL, 59-82) and high-dose (93 ng/mL, 80-113) PO calcifediol supplementation increased serum 25(OH)Dconcentrations from baseline (22.2 ng/mL, 20.3-29.3; both p < 0.0001). Low-dose and high-dose calcifediol supplementation decreased LPS-stimulated IL-6 by 197 pg/mL (95% confidence interval [CI]: -369.0 to -24.0; p = 0.03) and 182 pg/mL (95% CI: -355.0 to -8.0; p = 0.04), respectively. Then LPS-stimulated IL-6 concentrations decreased by 2 pg/mL for every 1 ng/mL increase in serum 25(OH)Dconcentration (95% CI: -3.0 to -0.1; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Calcifediol supplementation for 7 days was well-tolerated and decreased LPS-stimulated IL-6 concentrations. Oral calcifediol supplementation may have anti-inflammatory effects in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40923554/