Vitamin D restriction enhances periovarian adipose tissue inflammation in a model of menopause

Background: Menopause and deficiency in vitamin D (VD) are two health problems usually associated with aging women.Objective: We aimed to study inflammation in visceral adipose tissue when bilateral ovariectomy is combined with dietary restriction in VD.Methods: We studied 60 female C57BL/6 mice 3 months of age. Half of the animals had bilateral ovariectomy (Ovx group, n = 30) and half a sham procedure (Control [C] group, n = 30), and half of each Ovx or C group were fed a standard diet containing VD or a diet restricted in VD (D–) for an additional 12 weeks. Therefore, four groups were formed (n = 15 each group): C, C(D–), Ovx, and Ovx(D–). After sacrifice, the periovarian adipose tissue (PAT) was investigated.Results: In PAT, we observed different levels of hypertrophied adipocytes, enhanced proinflammatory cytokines, activation of inflammatory markers, and components of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase. The most affected PAT was seen in the Ovx(D–) group, followed by the Ovx group, the C(D–) group, and the C group (the least altered).Conclusion: The results demonstrate that ovariectomy and dietary restriction of VD are inducers of adverse effects on mouse visceral adipose tissue. When combined, these insults might enhance PAT inflammation.