1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25(OH)(2)D(3); 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol or calcitriol] is the active form of vitamin D(3), a lipid-soluble vitamin that plays a role in calcium and bone metabolism. Recently, vitamin D(3) has been shown to function in cancer prevention, immunity and cardiovascular regulation. 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) exhibits physiological and pharmacological effects by activating the ...

507 Abstract: The vitamin D receptor (VDR), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is an integral part of the body’s calcium regulatory system. Mammalian and avian VDR genes were isolated, sequenced and characterized. In this study we cloned the vitamin D receptor from amphibians. We received a cDNA library prepared from amphibian (frog) tissues and prepared a cDNA probe based on the avi...

objective: the role of vitamin d has soared to a pinnacle in recent years with functions affecting 229 human genes linked to cardiovascular, autoimmune, humoral, pulmonary and neurological diseases. relationship between obesity and vitamin d has not as yet been fully established. the objective of the study was to determine the possible relationship between vitamin d receptor (vdr) gene polymorp...

We have investigated how Wnt and vitamin D receptor signals regulate epidermal differentiation. Many epidermal genes induced by beta-catenin, including the stem cell marker keratin 15, contain vitamin D response elements (VDREs) and several are induced independently of TCF/Lef. The VDR is required for beta-catenin induced hair follicle formation in adult epidermis, and the vitamin D analog EB10...

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to accelerated decline in lung function, increased inflammation, and reduced immunity in chronic lung diseases. Epidemiological studies have suggested that vitamin D insufficiency is associated with low lung function in susceptible subjects who are exposed to higher levels of environmental agents (airborne particulates). Recent studies have highlighted the role of...

The hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3), the active form of vitamin D3, is an important regulator of calcium homeostasis, exerts antiproliferative effects on various cell systems and can induce differentiation in some kinds of hematopoietic cells. These effects are triggered by its receptor, vitamin D receptor (VDR), a phosphoprotein member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, which...

In recent years, a vast amount of studies have centered on the role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of certain types of cancers such as breast, colorectal and lung cancer. Increasing evidence suggests that vitamin D and its receptor play a crucial role in the development of gynecological cancers. In this review, we systematically analyzed the effect of vitamin D and the vitamin D receptor on e...

Vitamin D exerts its genomic effects following binding to a specific receptor which is a member of the steroid hormone receptor superfamily. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) forms heterodimers with retinoid X receptors (RXRs) and the dimer then interacts with its cognate binding site, termed vitamin D response element (VDRE), to affect the transcription of target genes. Recent studies have identifi...

Despite a growing body of evidence that Vitamin D is involved in mammalian brain functioning, there has been a lack of direct evidence about its role in the human brain. This paper reports, for the first time, the distribution of the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor (VDR), and 1a-hydroxylase (1a-OHase), the enzyme responsible for the formation of the active vitamin in the human brain. The rece...