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...

The nuclear receptor vitamin D receptor (VDR) is known to associate with two vitamin D response element (VDRE) containing chromatin regions of the insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) gene. In non-malignant MCF-10A human mammary cells, we show that the natural VDR ligand 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1α,25(OH)(2)D(3)) causes cyclical IGFBP3 mRNA accumulation with a periodicity o...

Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) is a bone-derived hormone, suppressing renal phosphate reabsorption and vitamin D hormone synthesis in proximal tubules, and stimulating calcium reabsorption in distal tubules of the kidney. Here, we analyzed the long term sequelae of deficient Fgf23 signaling on bone and mineral metabolism in 9-month-old mice lacking both Fgf23 or Klotho and a functioning vi...

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been demonstrated to contribute to HIV-induced tubular cell injury. We hypothesized that HIV-induced ROS generation may be causing tubular cell injury through downregulation of vitamin D receptor (VDR) and associated downstream effects. In the present study, HIV not only downregulated tubular cell VDR expression but also inflicted DNA injury. On the other hand...