Abstract
This study delved into the consequences of prolonged administration of vitamin D(3) on innate immune systems, particularly NF-κB and JAK/STAT, in Drosophila melanogaster. The outcomes indicated that vitamin D(3) treatment exhibited a notable capacity to improve the survival of adult flies with compromised immune functions, a condition induced by the loss of PGRP-LB, particularly when the flies were exposed to heat-killed Escherichia coli. The PGRP-LB(Δ) mutant line that was treated with heat-killed E. coli experienced reduced survival. Treatment of heat-killed E. coli-treated PGRP-LB(Δ) with vitamin D(3) resulted in improved survival, and this phenotypic feature might be due to the downregulation of gene expression in the NF-κB and JAK/STAT pathways. However, a higher concentration of vitamin D(3) was associated with decreased survival, potentially linked to intricate immunological responses. The research also underscored the influence of vitamin D(3) on the expression of antioxidant genes, sod1 and sod2, indicating an augmented resistance to oxidative stress. Further, this study revealed the effect of vitamin D(3) on the reproductive status of the autoinflammatory model, showing an increase in pupae and adult flies with a treatment of 10 mM vitamin D(3), suggesting the potential benefits of vitamin D(3) on the reproductive profile. Overall, this study provides preliminary insights into the complex interactions between vitamin D(3), immune pathways, oxidative responses in the cell, and reproduction in Drosophila.