A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF BIO CHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY INCLUDES MUSCLE WASTING AND ADIPOSITY CHANGES

SCIENCE

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble secosteroid hormone essential for maintaining various physiological processes, including bone health, immune function, and cellular metabolism. Emerging research has illuminated the intricate biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying the association between vitamin D deficiency and muscle wasting, as well as adiposity changes. This abstract provides an overview of these mechanisms, shedding light on the multifaceted relationship between vitamin D status and musculoskeletal health. Muscle wasting, characterized by the loss of muscle mass and function, is a common consequence of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in skeletal muscle development, maintenance, and repair through its interaction with the vitamin D receptor (VDR) present in muscle tissue. The active form of vitamin D, calcitriol, binds to VDR, initiating genomic and non-genomic pathways that influence muscle protein synthesis, mitochondrial function, and muscle fiber composition. In vitamin D deficiency, these processes are compromised, leading to muscle atrophy and weakness. Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to adiposity changes, specifically an increase in visceral adipose tissue. Adipose tissue expresses VDR, and the active form of vitamin D regulates adipogenesis and adipokine secretion. Insufficient vitamin D levels disrupt these regulatory mechanisms, promoting the expansion of visceral fat and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This adiposity change contributes to a pro-inflammatory state and insulin resistance, increasing the risk of metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

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