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The vitamin D-antimicrobial peptide pathway and its role in protection against infection. Gombart AF. Future Microbiol. 2009 Nov;4:1151-65. PMID: 19895218 Vitamin D deficiency has been correlated with increased rates of infection. Since the early 19th century, both environmental (i.e., sunlight) and dietary sources (cod liver) of vitamin D have been identified as treatments for TB. The recent discovery that vitamin D induces antimicrobial peptide gene expression explains, in part, the 'antibiotic' effect of vitamin D and has greatly renewed interest in the ability of vitamin D to improve immune function. Subsequent work indicates that this regulation is biologically important for the response of the innate immune system to wounds and infection and that deficiency may lead to suboptimal responses toward bacterial and viral infections. The regulation of the cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide gene is a human/primate-specific adaptation and is not conserved in other mammals. The capacity of the vitamin D receptor to act as a high-affinity receptor for vitamin D and a low-affinity receptor for secondary bile acids and potentially other novel nutritional compounds suggests that the evolutionary selection to place the cathelicidin gene under control of the vitamin D receptor allows for its regulation under both endocrine and xenobiotic response systems. Future studies in both humans and humanized mouse models will elucidate the importance of this regulation and lead to the development of potential therapeutic applications

P.T. Liu, S. Stenger, H. Li, L. Wenzel, B.H. Tan, S.R. Krutzik, M.T. Ochoa, J. Schauber, K. Wu, C. Meinken, et al.\nVitamin D3-Triggered Antimicrobial Response--Another Pleiotropic Effect beyond Mineral and Bone Metabolism: Toll-Like Receptor Triggering of a Vitamin D-Mediated Human Antimicrobial Response. Science 311: 1770-1773, 2006\nJ. Am. Soc. Nephrol., November 1, 2006; 17(11): 2949 - 2953.

In the July 2005 FASEB Journal, Adrian F. Gombart of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and his colleagues reported that vitamin D boosts production in white blood cells of one of the antimicrobial compounds that defends the body against germs.\n\nImmediately, Cannell says, the proverbial lightbulb went on in his head: Maybe the high doses of vitamin D that he had been prescribing to virtually all the men on his ward had boosted their natural arsenal of the antimicrobial, called cathelicidin, and protected them from flu. Cannell had been administering the vitamin D because his patients, like many other people in the industrial world, had shown a deficiency:

Giving saturated fat another chance. Saturated fat has long held a bad rep and been noted for its potential to contribute to cardiovascular disease. So you might understand why I was a bit skeptical of all the hype surrounding the supposedly miracle-working power of coconut oil, which is composed of saturated fatty acids. However, if there's one thing I have learned as a nutrition student, it is that research has the potential to change our views as we continue to expand our knowledge and make new discoveries. Coconut oil may prevent and alleviate disease. Both research and clinical studies have shown that MCFA may be useful in treating and preventing diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, virus-related dieases (mononucleosis, hepatitis C, herpes, etc.), gallbladder disease, Crohn's disease, and cancer. The smaller size of MCFA (compared to LCFA) allows them to be digested more easily, making them ideal for those suffering from digestive diseases. Coconut oil may assist in the absorption and retaining of calcium, thereby benefiting bones. Coconut oil has antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Lipid-coated bacteria and viruses contain a lipid coat which encloses their DNA among other cellular materials. When consumed by humans, coconut oil disrupts the lipid membrane, killing the pathogens without damaging the host or harming health-promoting intestinal bacteria. The antimicrobial properties stem from the monoglycerides and free fatty acids (mainly lauric acid and capric acid) that compose coconut oil.

"Cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide is a family of polypeptides found in lysosomes in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs).[1] Members of the cathelicidin family of antimicrobial polypeptides are characterized by a highly conserved region (cathelin domain) and a highly variable cathelicidin peptide domain. Cathelicidin peptides have been isolated from many different species of mammals. Cathelicidins were originally found in neutrophils but have since been found in many other cells including epithelial cells and macrophages activated by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or the hormone 1,25-D"

Cutting edge: vitamin D-mediated human antimicrobial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis is dependent on the induction of cathelicidin.\nLiu PT, Stenger S, Tang DH, Modlin RL.\nJ Immunol. 2007 Aug 15;179(4):2060-3.\nPMID: 1767546

Human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) gene is a direct target of the vitamin D receptor and is strongly up-regulated in myeloid cells by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.\nGombart AF, Borregaard N, Koeffler HP.\nFASEB J. 2005 Jul;19(9):1067-77.\nPMID: 15985530

Ross ZM, O'Gara EA, Hill DJ, Sleightholme HV, Maslin DJ. Antimicrobial properties of garlic oil against human enteric bacteria: evaluation of methodologies and comparisons with garlic oil sulfides and garlic powder. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2001 Jan;67(1)

Liu PT, Stenger S, Tang DH, Modlin RL. Cutting Edge: Vitamin D-Mediated Human Antimicrobial Activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Is Dependent on the Induction of Cathelicidin. J Immunol. 2007 Aug 15;179(4):2060-3. PMID: 17675463 [PubMed - in pr

Vitamin D may suppress infections which lead to development of Multiple Sclerosis Steven R Brenner, None (16 August 2007) J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2008 I read the article with reference to the inverse relationship between multiple sclerosis clinical activity and deficiency of vitamin D by Soilu-Hannienen (1) with interest, and was considering what mechanism could be in play to cause such a relationship. 25-hydroxylated metabolites of vitamin D act as intracellular regulators of the synthesis and action of defensin (2) molecules against bacterial antigens, defensin being an endogenously synthesized antimicrobial substance (2). Human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide gene is a target of vitamin D receptor and is strongly up-regulated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, indicating vitamin D receptor and the 1,25-dihydroxyvitaminD3 regulate primate innate immunity (3)

In vitro antimicrobial properties of coconut oil on Candida species in Ibadan, Nigeria. Ogbolu DO, Oni AA, Daini OA, Oloko AP. J Med Food. 2007 Jun;10(2):384-7. PMID: 17651080 It is noteworthy that coconut oil was active against species of Candida at 100% concentration compared to fluconazole. Coconut oil should be used in the treatment of fungal infections in view of emerging drug-resistant Candida specie

The vitamin D-antimicrobial peptide pathway and its role in protection against infection. Gombart AF. Future Microbiol. 2009 Nov;4:1151-65. PMID: 19895218 doi:10.2217/fmb.09.87

"One of the very useful oils in the food supply comes from the coconut. Coconut oil has suffered from unjust criticism for more than 30 years in the United States because some of the governmental and food oil organizations, as well as consumer activist organizations such as Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), have claimed that coconut oil as a "saturated fat" is shown to be atherogenic. This is not true. There is a variety of supportive research published in 2003, 2004, and 2005, which shows the importance of coconut oil. Also, information on coconut oil is currently coming into the research literature from numerous countries, including India, Norway, Iran and the United States. The following are some of the most recent studies showing the benefits of coconut oil. These studies contradict claims that coconut oil contributes to heart disease and also support earlier research showing an antimicrobial role for the fatty acids in this traditional fat."

Berberine. [No authors listed] Altern Med Rev. 2000 Apr;5(2):175-7. PMID: 10767672 Berberine is a plant alkaloid with a long history of medicinal use in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. It is present in Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal), Coptis chinensis (Coptis or goldenthread), Berberis aquifolium (Oregon grape), Berberis vulgaris (barberry), and Berberis aristata (tree turmeric). The berberine alkaloid can be found in the roots, rhizomes, and stem bark of the plants. Berberine extracts and decoctions have demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity against a variety of organisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans, helminths, and chlamydia. Currently, the predominant clinical uses of berberine include bacterial diarrhea, intestinal parasite infections, and ocular trachoma infection

"Numerous studies link Vitamin D and influenza, as well as Vitamin D and respiratory infections more generally. This vitamin up-regulates genetic expression of various endogenous antimicrobial peptides (AMP), which exhibit broad-spectrum microbicidal activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Reports discussed below indicate that susceptibility to influenza is reduced with higher levels of sun exposure or vitamin D supplementation. Seasonal variation of vitamin D levels in humans can help explain the seasonality of flu epidemics."

Harris JC, Cottrell SL, Plummer S, Lloyd D. \nAntimicrobial properties of Allium sativum (garlic).\nAppl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2001 Oct;57(3):282-6. Review.\nPMID: 11759674 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Martin KW, Ernst E. \nHerbal medicines for treatment of bacterial infections: a review of controlled clinical trials.\nJ Antimicrob Chemother. 2003 Feb;51(2):241-6. Review.\nPMID: 12562687 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

"Hi! This is Amy Proal. I wrote the article referenced at the start of the thread about vitamin D. Dr. Marshall is not concerned with vitamin D toxicity. Rather his molecular modeling research has clarified the actions of the two vitamin D metabolites 25-D and 1,25-D. The Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) is a fundamental receptor of the body - it controls the expression thousands of genes, as well as the activity of the innate immune system and the antimicrobial peptides. If you think of the VDR as a switch, 25-D (which is a corticosteroid) turns it off (inactivates it) and 1,25-D turn it on (activates it). What is commonly believed among vitamin D researchers is that if people supplement with extra vitamin D it will be converted into 1,25-D and activate the VDR. Unfortunately, Marshall's work revealed that the type of vitamin D derived from supplements and sun remains, for the most part, in it's precursor form 25-D. This means that the extra vitamin D we get from fortified food products and supplements is turning the VDR off, not on. That causes a decrease in immune function and gene transcription."

"If you're running low on vitamin D - as an estimated 70 percent of the U.S. population is - your immune system may not be functioning as well as it should. As a result, you may be more vulnerable to infectious diseases than you would if your vitamin D levels were optimal. Worse, you could be at higher than normal risk of a long list of diseases including heart disease and several kinds of cancer. A report recently published journal, Future Microbiology, highlighted research at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, which has shown that vitamin D induces expression of an antimicrobial peptide gene called cathelicidin that is the "first line of defense" in the immune system's response to minor wounds, cuts and bacterial and viral infections. The regulation of cathelicidin by vitamin D could help explain its vital role in immune function. The report noted that vitamin D is a key cofactor in reducing inflammation, in blood pressure control and helping to protect against heart disease. Author Adrian Gombart explains that there is still much to explore about D's mechanisms of action, the potential use of synthetic analogs of it in new treatments, and its duty in fighting infection."

"Berberine is a bitter-tasting, yellow, plant alkaloid with a long history of medicinal use in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Berberine is present in the roots, rhizomes and stem bark of various plants including Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal), Coptis chinensis (coptis or goldenthread), Berberis aquifolium (Oregon grape), Berberis vulgaris (barberry), and Berberis aristata (tree turmeric). Berberine has also been used historically as a dye, due to its yellow color. Clinical trials have been conducted using berberine. There is some evidence to support its use in the treatment of trachomas (eye infections), bacterial diarrhea, and leishmaniasis (parasitic disease). Berberine has also shown antimicrobial activity against bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans, helminths (worms), and chlamydia (STD). Future clinical research is warranted in these areas, as well as cardiovascular disease, skin disorders, and liver disorders. Berberine has been shown to be safe in the majority of clinical trials. However, there is a potential for interaction between berberine and many prescription medications, and berberine should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women, due to potential for adverse effects in the newborn."