Biopsy ; Calcitriol ; therapeutic use ; Calcium ; therapeutic use ; Fanconi Syndrome ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Pilot Projects ; Prednisone ; therapeutic use

To explore immune intervention effects of the combined use of cycloporin A (CsA) and 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3[1,25(OH)2D3] at low doses on experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT), porcine thyroglobulin (pTG) was injected into a CBA mouse at the dose of 100 micrograms on day 0 and day 14 to establish the model of EAT. The immune prevention group from day 0 to day 28, and treatment group from day 10 to day 38 were daily administered CsA (10 mg/kg) intragastrically and/or 1,25(OH)2D3 (0.2 microgram/kg) i.p. After immunized by pTG, the mice were sacrificed on day 28 and day 38 to examine their thyroid gland pathologically, and to check the levels of serum porcine thyroglobulin antibodies (pTGAb), porcine thyromicrosomal antibodies (pTMAb). The incidences of EAT in the immune prevention group and treatment group, with administration of low dose of CsA and 1,25(OH)2D3, were decreased respectively by 44.44% and 37.50%. Those of severe disease in the two groups were decreased respectively by 71.43% and 60.32%. The levels of serum pTGAb and pTMAb in the immune prevention group were lower than those of the positive control group. It was concluded that combined use of CsA and 1,25(OH)2D3 at low doses could effectively prevent EAT with a synergic effect.
Animals ; Antibodies ; blood ; Calcitriol ; therapeutic use ; Cyclosporine ; therapeutic use ; Drug Synergism ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred CBA ; Thyroglobulin ; immunology ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune ; drug therapy ; immunology ; prevention & control

Humans ; Warfarin/therapeutic use* ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C9/genetics* ; Anticoagulants/therapeutic use* ; Genotype ; Heart Valves ; China ; Apolipoproteins E/genetics* ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Receptors, Calcitriol/genetics*

Bone Morphogenetic Proteins ; therapeutic use ; Calcitriol ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; methods ; Humans ; Osteogenesis ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; classification ; methods ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; therapeutic use ; Vitamin D ; analogs & derivatives

Signaling through the vitamin D receptor has been shown to be biologically active and important in a number of preclinical studies in prostate and other cancers. Epidemiologic data also indicate that vitamin D signaling may be important in the cause and prognosis of prostate and other cancers. These data indicate that perturbation of vitamin D signaling may be a target for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. Large studies of vitamin D supplementation will be required to determine whether these observations can be translated into prevention strategies. This paper reviews the available data in the use of vitamin D compounds in the treatment of prostate cancer. Clinical data are limited which support the use of vitamin D compounds in the management of men with prostate cancer. However, clinical trials guided by existing preclinical data are limited.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Calcifediol/blood* ; Calcitriol/therapeutic use* ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Ergocalciferols/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms/prevention & control* ; Signal Transduction ; Vitamin D/metabolism* ; Vitamin D Deficiency/epidemiology*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of 1, 25-(OH)2D3 on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in type 2 diabetic rats.

METHODSType 2 diabetic mellitus (DM) model rats were established by intraperitoneally injecting with 30 mg/kg streptozotocin. After 8 weeks, 19 male rats were identified as diabetic with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) by ultrasound examination, and randomly assigned into three groups: untreated (DM-LVH, n=7), treated with insulin (DM-LVH+INS, n=6), and treated with 1, 25-(OH)2D3 (DM-LVH+VD, n=6). Healthy male rats were used as the controls group (n=6). The fasting blood glucose and the insulin level were determined weekly. The left ventricular mass index, myocardial collagen content, collagen volume fraction, and 1, 25-(OH)2D3-receptor level were determined by 4 weeks later.

RESULTSIn the DM-LVH model group, the insulin level was significantly decreased compared with the non-diabetic control group (P<0.05), whereas the blood glucose, left ventricular mass index, myocardial collagen content, collagen volume fraction, and 1, 25-(OH)2D3-receptor expression were significantly increased (all P<0.05). In the DM-LVH+INS and DM-LVH+VD groups, the insulin levels were significantly increased compared with the DM-LVH model group (P<0.05), whereas the other parameters were significantly decreased (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSION1, 25-(OH)2D3 could reverse LVH in diabetic rats and that the mechanism may involve stimulating insulin secretion and reducing blood glucose via direct up-regulation of 1, 25-(OH)2D3-receptor expression.

Animals ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Calcitriol ; therapeutic use ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; blood ; complications ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; complications ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; prevention & control ; Insulin ; blood ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Calcitriol ; analysis ; Streptozocin

Low level laser or light treatment on the various clinical condition is getting considerable attention now. However, there has been no report about the clinical effect of low level polarized polychromatic noncoherent light (LPPL) on the inflammatory skin disease. We experienced a case of acrodermatitis continua in a pregnant woman refractory to any conventional treatment including the most potent topical steroid. She was successfully treated with LPPL. LPPL could be a possible treatment modality producing substantial clinical result in inflammatory skin condition without any side-effect.
Acrodermatitis/*therapy ; Adult ; Calcitriol/analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation/therapy ; Light ; Phototherapy/*methods ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Psoriasis/drug therapy ; Skin Diseases/*therapy

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Calcitriol ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis ; drug therapy ; Pain ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between regulatory T (Treg) cells and postmenopausal osteoporosis and the antiosteoporotic effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)₂D₃] in relation to Treg cells.

METHODSFifty female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into five groups: the basal control (BAS), Sham, ovariectomy (OVX), OVX+diethylstilbestrol (OVX+DES), and OVX+1,25(OH)₂D₃. Tibias were harvested and processed with decalcification for quantitative bone histomorphometry. Femurs were stained by immunohistochemistry to detect Foxp3 protein expression. Spleens were used to detect Treg and Foxp3 gene expression by flow cytometry and quantitative RT-PCR, respectively.

RESULTSIn comparison with the Sham group, a significant decrease was found in the OVX group in such indices as trabecular bone volume/total tissue area (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N) and trabecular thickness (Tb.Th). 1,25(OH)₂D₃and DES partly prevented the decrease in BV/TV, Tb.N, Tb.Th in OVX mice. Treg cell number, Foxp3 mRNA expression in spleen and Foxp3 protein expression in femur significantly decreased in the OVX-treated group compared with those in the sham group. 1,25(OH)2D₃and DES significantly increased Treg cell number and Foxp3 expression. Treg cells and Foxp3 gene expression were related to bone histomorphometric parameters.

CONCLUSIONThe decrease in Treg cell numbers is relevant to the postmenopausal osteoporosis. The antiosteoporosis of 1,25(OH)₂D₃is related to regulatory T cells.

Animals ; Bone Density Conservation Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Calcitriol ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Osteoporosis ; drug therapy ; Ovariectomy ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; drug effects

To determine the efficacy and tolerance to cyclosporine A (CsA) based therapy in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), 16 patients with MDS consisting of 10 refractory anemia (RA) and 6 refractory anemia with accessory blasts less than 10% (RAEB-1) were analyzed. Five patients had hypocellular bone marrows and 11 patients had normocellular or hypercellular marrows. The dose of CsA was 2.5-5.5 mg/(kg.d) for 2 weeks to 2 years (mean 8 months). Two out of 16 patients were treated with CsA alone, 14 patients were treated with CsA, recombinant human erythropoietin, androgens, 1, 25 dihydroxy vitamin D(3) or two or three of them combination with CsA. Treatment responses were classified according to the International Working Group (IWG) criteria as complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR), hematological improvement (HI) and no response (NR). Patients who obtained CR, PR or HI were defined as responders. The results showed that HI was observed in 12 patients, PR in 2 patients and NR in 2 patients. Total response rate was 87.5%. Response rates shown in neutrophil lineage, platelet and erythroid lineage were 83.3%, 66.7% and 60%, respectively; their shortest time required to obtain some hematologic improvement after initiation of CsA therapy was 2 weeks, 1 month and 1 month, respectively. Of 13 patients being transfusion-dependent before treatment, 3 patients did not need transfusion any more and 5 showed the reduced transfusion requirements after CsA therapy. In 10 patients with RA, 9 responded to CsA. Of 6 patients with RAEB, 1 patient had no response and died of RAEB-t and 5 patients had transient responses. One of the latter transformed to CMML and two relapsed. The total response rate decreased to 50% in the patients with CsA therapy lasting more than 3 months at the end of following-up. The adverse effects included hirsutism, hyperplastic gingiva, reversible hepatic and renal dysfunction. In conclusion, the usefulness of CsA based therapy for MDS-RA and RAEB-1 with any marrow cellularity is useful, the CsA dose of 3-5 mg/(kg.d) is safe and efficacious.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Androgens ; administration & dosage ; Anemia, Refractory ; drug therapy ; Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts ; drug therapy ; Calcitriol ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Cyclosporine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Erythropoietin ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; drug therapy ; Recombinant Proteins ; Treatment Outcome