The anti-inflammatory actions of vitamin D have long been recognized and its importance in modulating colon cancer and colitis development is becoming apparent. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is downregulated in human ulcerative colitis and colitis-associated cancer (CAC); however, its status in murine models of colitis has yet to be explored. Snail and Snail2, zinc-finger transcription factors r...

Mutations in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) result in target organ resistance to 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D3], the active form of vitamin D, and cause hereditary 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D resistant rickets (HVDRR). We analyzed the VDR of a patient who exhibited three genetic diseases: HVDRR, congenital total lipodystrophy, and persistent mullerian duct syndrome. The patient was treate...

Backgrounds: There is a wide range of individual responses to mycobacterium infection. However, the reason why certain people suffers from disease when they are infected with while others remain healthy still unknown. Genetic susceptibility thought be one important explanatory factors for individuals risk developing pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). FokI polymorphism was genetic variations within vi...

Postnatal mammary gland morphogenesis is achieved through coordination of signaling networks in both the epithelial and stromal cells of the developing gland. While the major proliferative hormones driving pubertal mammary gland development are estrogen and progesterone, studies in transgenic and knockout mice have successfully identified other steroid and peptide hormones that impact on mammar...

We examined whether polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene was associated with individual risk of hand osteoarthritis (OA). Radiographs of both hands of 295 dentists and of 248 teachers were examined and classified for the presence of OA using reference images. The VDR ApaI and TaqI genotypes were determined by PCR-based methods. No association was observed between the VDR polymorph...

The transcription factor VDR is the nuclear receptor for 1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD) and the mediator of all genomic actions of the nuclear hormone and its synthetic analogs. The sharp biological profile of the model VD analog 1(S), 3(R)-dihydroxy-20(R)-(5'-ethyl-5'-hydroxy-hepta-1'(E), 3'(E)-dien-1'-yl)-9,10-secopregna-5(Z),7(E),10(19)-triene (EB1089) (i.e., its high antiproliferative ...

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) mediates the pleiotropic biologic effects of 1α,25 dihydroxy-vitamin D3. Recent in vitro studies suggested that curcumin and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) also bind to VDR with low affinity. As potential ligands for the VDR, we hypothesized that curcumin and PUFAs would induce expression of known VDR target genes in cells. In this study, we tested whether thes...

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) mediates the antitumoral action of the active vitamin D metabolite 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3). However, VDR expression is lost during colon cancer progression, possibly causing unresponsiveness to 1,25(OH)2D3. Although several mechanisms responsible for resistance to 1,25(OH)2D3 action in different types of cancer had been reported, none explained the l...

FGF23 suppresses both serum phosphate and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25D] levels in vivo. Because 1,25D itself is a potent regulator of phosphate metabolism, it has remained unclear whether FGF23-induced changes in phosphate metabolism were caused by a 1,25D-independent mechanism. To address this issue, we intravenously administered recombinant FGF23 to vitamin D receptor (VDR) null (KO) mice a...

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) suppress T helper (Th)17 cell differentiation and are being clinically pursued for conditions associated with aberrant Th17 responses. Whether such immunomodulatory effects are enhanced by coadministration of MSCs with other agents is not well known. In the present study, individual and combined effects of MSCs and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) agonist paricalcitol ...