Correlations Between 1, 25-Dihydroxy Vitamin D (Vitamin D-3) and Adipocyte Growth

Abstract

It is estimated by the World Health Organization that over 650 million adults worldwide are classified as obese, a health problem that can lead to death and other serious health issues (Obesity and Overweight, 2021). Obesity itself can result from many factors, such as genetic predisposition, environment, stress, diet, sleep, and exercise. One avenue of study on combatting obesity involves Cholecalciferol, more commonly known as Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is created in the skin after exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D3 itself is mainly believed to play a significant role in the regulation and absorption of calcium. However, some studies have pointed out that Vitamin D3 may also stop the growth of fatty tissue. This study applied Vitamin D3 solutions on both undifferentiated and differentiated forms of mouse 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cells over a set of days. Cells were stained either by oil-red, or by crystal violet, the absorbance of these stains was measured in a spectrophotometer. Data shows that there may be a correlation between Vitamin D3 exposure and lipid growth, but overall results are inconclusive, and more testing would be required to achieve a definitive conclusion.