Skip to main content
. 2022 Jun 29;14(13):2716. doi: 10.3390/nu14132716

Figure 3.

Figure 3

Antiviral actions of VDES and the innate immune response: autophagy/apoptosis. Autophagy is an essential mechanism by which cells cope with viruses. Autophagic encapsulation of viral particles packages them for lysosomal degradation and subsequent presentation of antigens and adaptive antiviral immune responses. Therefore, autophagy may be highly sensitive to changes in 25OHD serum levels. The specific mechanisms by which VDES promotes autophagy involve down regulation of the mTOR pathway, which inhibits autophagy, and the promotion of Beclin 1 and PI3KC3, key autophagy-driving enzymes. The upregulation of intracellular Ca and NO by VDES also stimulates the activity of PI3KC3 to promote autophagy. DEFB4A: defensin beta 4A. mTOR: mammalian target of rapamycin. Ca: calcium. NO: nitric oxide. PIK3C3: phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit type 3. TLR: toll-like receptor. VDR: vitamin D receptor.