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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2020, 22, N2 (pages: 15 - 22)

Is there a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and low serum level of GDNF in substance use disorder cases?

Alipour M., Jafarian M., Mokri A., Gorji A., Zarindast M.R., Kargar Kheirabad A., and Razaghi E.M.

Summary: Background: GDNF is a neurotrophic factor that is crucial in survival and development of dopaminergic neurons. It is produced in the adult brain in Nucleus Accombens (NA) and subsequently transported as retrograde to Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA). The VTA, NA pathway is an important component of the mesolimbic dopamine system, which is the main target of substances of abuse in the brain. Interestingly, wide distribution of vitamin D receptors throughout the brain and particularly the concentration of those receptors in dopaminergic neurons raises the assumption of potential interaction between GDNF and vitamin D. Vitamin D is effective in GDNF expression and the administration of vitamin D, increases GDNF, mRNA, and protein levels in the striatum of adult rats. Our study investigated the association between serum Vitamin D and GDNF levels in subjects who were using substances compared to controls. Aim: Evaluation for serum levels of Vitamin D and GDNF in people who use substances. For this purpose GDNF and vitamin D serum level between three groups of subjects who use opioids and methamphetamine concomitantly, subjects who use methamphetamine without opioids, and a control who use no substances were compared. Methods: According to inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study, 54 cases who used substances and 23 healthy subjects as control group were evaluated for serum levels of Vitamin D and GDNF. Results: Serum levels of GDNF and Vitamin D were significantly lower in subjects who used substances compared to the control group. There was a significant correlation between the serum levels of vitamin D and GDNF in both groups of subjects who used substances. Conclusions: We would like to suggest the hypothesis that treatment of vitamin D deficiency in people who use substances might improve the outcome of treatment for substance use disorder by increasing the level of serum GDNF.