Review for 10.1186/s12876-018-0905-9 (2018)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Neuroprotective effects of vitamin D on high fat diet - and palmitic acid -induced enteric 
neuronal loss in mice  
 
Version: 0 Date: 24 Oct 2018  
 
Reviewer: Reviewer 2  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
PEER REVIEWER ASSESSMENTS:  
 
 
OBJECTIVE - Full research articles: is there a clear objective that addresses a testable research 
question(s) (brief or other article types: is there a clear objective)?  
 
 
Yes - there is a clear objective  
 
DESIGN - Is the current  approach (including controls and analysis protocols) appropriate for the 
objective?  
 
Yes - the approach is appropriate  
 
 
 
EXECUTION - Are the experiments and analyses performed with technical rigor to allow 
confidence in the results?  
 
Yes - experiments and an alyses were performed appropriately  
 
 
INTERPRETATION - Is the current interpretation/discussion of the results reasonable and not 
overstated?  
 
Yes - the author's interpretation is reasonable  
 
 
OVERALL MANUSCRIPT POTENTIAL - Could an appropriately REVISED vers ion of this 
work represent a technically sound contribution?  
 
Probably - with minor revisions  
 
 
 
PEER REVIEWER COMMENTS:  
 
GENERAL COMMENTS: In this manuscript entitled "Neuroprotective effects of vitamin D on 
high fat diet - and palmitic acid -induced enteric neuronal loss in mice", the authors investigated, 
in vitro and in vivo, the effect of vitaminD supplementation on enteric neurons.  
 
They found that Vitamin D supplementation  was sufficient to protect against enteric neurons 
loss observed following high fa t diet consumption, through a mechanism involving PPARγ.  
 
 
REQUESTED REVISIONS:  
 
Table 3 and 4 should be converted to figures  
 
 
ADDITIONAL REQUESTS/SUGGESTIONS:  
 
The use of multiple dose tend to demonstrate a dose effect of VitD supplementation.  
 
Mechanistical ly, the current study is not providing much (except regarding the putative role of 
PPARg). The only interesting observation is that vitamin D -mediated beneficial effects seems to 
require a high -fat diet  
 
 
Again, the data presented as table are really difficu lt to interpret and should be represented as 
histograms.  
 
 
Note: This reviewer report can be downloaded - see attached pdf file.  
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, pleas e specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data  shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what asp ects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
Not relevant to this manuscript  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of compet ing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financial ly from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now o r in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents r elating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing inter ests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have  no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
This reviewer has been recruited by a partner organization, Research Square. Reviewers with 
declared or apparent competing interests are not utilized for these reviews. This reviewer has 
agreed to publication of their comments online under a Creative Commo ns Attribution License 
attributed to Research Square and was paid a small honorarium for completing the review within 
a specified timeframe. Honoraria for reviews such as this are paid regardless of the reviewer 
recommendation.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understan d that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
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to the editor s, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal