Acute Vitamin D3 Supplementation in Severe Obesity: Evaluation of Multimeric Adiponectin

Obesity predisposes to vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and glucose abnormalities. It is currently debated if vitamin D administration may improve glucose homeostasis by interacting with modulators of insulin sensitivity, such as adiponectinand its oligomers. In a 4-week inpatient study on a metabolic rehabilitation program, consisting of individualized caloric restriction and aerobic physical exercise in obese subjects with VDD, we assessed the acute effects of 600,000 IU cholecalciferolgiven per os VD group, 12 subjects; body mass index (BMI) 42.7 ± 1.3 kg/m2) or placebo per os (PL group, 12 subjects, BMI 39.8 ± 0.9 kg/m2) on high (HWM-A), medium (MMW-A), and low molecular weight adiponectin(LMW-A), as quantified by western immunoblot (WIB) and ELISA. During the 4-week study, dieting promoted a similar magnitude of weight loss in VD and PL groups. Compared to the PL group, cholecalciferoladministration increased 25(OH)Vit D levels (p < 0.001) and promoted a significant increase of HMW-A expression analyzed by WIB (p = 0.02). In parallel, a significant decrease of leptin/HMW-A ratio (p < 0.05), a biomarker of metabolic homeostasis, was observed. During the study, changes of MMW-A and LMW-A occurred independently of cholecalciferoladministration, and were likely explained by weight loss. At odds with these findings, the ELISA assessment of adiponectinoligomers showed no modifications in the VD group or PL group. Current findings suggest that acute cholecalciferoladministration selectively modifies HMW-A and the leptin/HMW-A ratio.