Vitamin D Receptor Modulates Intestinal Lipid Metabolism, Adipose Tissue Inflammation and Hepatic Steatosis in Diet-induced Obese Mice

Background: Vitamin D effects are mediated via the nuclear Vitamin D Receptor (VDR). Vitamin D insufficiency is frequently observed in obesity and NAFLD. The contribution of VDR to the pathomechanisms of these entities is, however, incompletely understood. We investigated the impact of global and intestine-specific Vitamin D signaling on the development of obesity and NAFLD in genetically-modified mice. Methods: Diet-induced obesity, adipose tissue (AT) inflammation and early NAFLD were analyzed in three groups of mice: Heterozygous mice served as controls. “Whole-body” Vdr-KO mice served as a model to study glo…