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The production of the hormone 1α,25(OH) 2 vitamin D 3 (1,25D 3 ) begins in the body by the processing of 7-dehydrocholesterol to vitamin D 3 (VD3), where the B-ring of the molecule opens. This increases the molecular space the D3 A-ring can sample. The addition of the 25-OH and 1-OH groups, D3, adds H-bonding character to the molecule. It is these features of the 1,25D 3 molecule, in addition to the innate flexible of the side-chain atoms, which determine what proteins 1,25D 3 will bind to and perhaps more importantly the strength and dynamics of the interaction(s). The nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR) is an intracellular protein that binds with very strong affinity to 1,25D 3 . In binding to the VDR, 1,25D 3 can directly regulate gene transcription and lipid signaling and the activity and/or localization of enzymes and ion channels. This chapter reviews how the dynamic interactions between 1,25D 3 and the VDR can regulate the pluripotent cellular functions that have been associated with the two molecules.

Animal models suggest a key role for dihydroxylated vitamin D metabolites in fracture healing, as evidenced by increases in serum concentration of 24R,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (24R,25[OH]2D) after long bone fracture. Human studies investigating the kinetics of serum concentrations of 24R,25[OH]2D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]2D) and their parent metabolite 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) are lacking. We, therefore, conducted a longitudinal study to determine whether total, free, or bioavailable concentrations of these vitamin D metabolites fluctuate in humans after long bone fracture. Twenty-eight patients with cross-shaft (diaphyseal) long bone fracture presenting to an emergency department in London, UK, were studied. Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D, 24R,25(OH)2D, 1,25(OH)2D, vitamin D binding protein, albumin, and calcium were determined within 48 hours of fracture and again at 1 and 6 weeks postfracture. Concentrations of free and bioavailable vitamin D metabolites were calculated using standard equations. No changes in mean serum concentrations of 25(OH)D or 24R,25(OH)2D were seen at either follow-up time point versus baseline. In contrast, mean serum 1,25(OH)2D concentration declined by 21% over the course of the study, from 68.5 pmol/L at baseline to 54.1 pmol/L at 6 weeks (p

UV radiation (UVR) is essential for formation of vitamin D(3), which can be hydroxylated locally in the skin to 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25-(OH)(2)D(3)]. Recent studies implicate 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3) in reduction of UVR-induced DNA damage, particularly thymine dimers. There is evidence that photoprotection occurs through the steroid nongenomic pathway for 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3) action. In the current study, we tested the involvement of the classical vitamin D receptor (VDR) and the endoplasmic reticulum stress protein 57 (ERp57), in the mechanisms of photoprotection. The protective effects of 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3) against thymine dimers were abolished in fibroblasts from patients with hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets that expressed no VDR protein, indicating that the VDR is essential for photoprotection. Photoprotection remained in hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets fibroblasts expressing a VDR with a defective DNA-binding domain or a mutation in helix H1 of the classical ligand-binding domain, both defects resulting in a failure to mediate genomic responses, implicating nongenomic responses for photoprotection. Ab099, a neutralizing antibody to ERp57, and ERp57 small interfering RNA completely blocked protection against thymine dimers in normal fibroblasts. Co-IP studies showed that the VDR and ERp57 interact in nonnuclear extracts of fibroblasts. 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3) up-regulated expression of the tumor suppressor p53 in normal fibroblasts. This up-regulation of p53, however, was observed in all mutant fibroblasts, including those with no VDR, and with Ab099; therefore, VDR and ERp57 are not essential for p53 regulation. The data implicate the VDR and ERp57 as critical components for actions of 1,25-(OH)(2)D(3) against DNA damage, but the VDR does not require normal DNA binding or classical ligand binding to mediate photoprotection.

It is largely through historical accident in the interval of 1920–1940 that vitamin D3 became classified as a vitamin rather than as a steroid hormone. The formal definition of a vitamin is that it is a trace dietary constituent required to produce the normal function of a physiological process or processes. The emphasis here is on trace and the fact that the vitamin must be supplied regularly in the diet; this implies that the body is unable to metabolically synthesize the vitamin in question. However, the ultraviolet exposure of 7-dehydrocholesterol present in the skin results in the photochemical production of vitamin D3. Thus, vitamin D3 becomes a true vitamin only when the animal or human does not have regular access to sunlight or ultraviolet light. Under normal physiological circumstances, all mammals, including humans, can generate, via ultraviolet exposure of 7-dehydrocholesterol present in the skin, adequate quantities of vitamin D3 to meet their nutritionally defined requirements. There is a vibrant historical record beginning in 1650 and culminating in 1963 concerned with the determination of the chemical structures of vitamin D3 and vitamin D2. A surprising aspect concerning vitamin D3 is that it is itself biologically inert. There are no known essential biological actions or contributions that rely specifically on the molecule vitamin D3. While chemists had certainly appreciated the strong structural similarity between the vitamins D and other steroids, this correlation was never widely acknowledged in the biological, clinical, or nutritional sciences until 1965–1970. The biological role of vitamin D3 is to serve as a substrate for the liver 25-hydroxylase which produces 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3]. 25(OH)D3 in turn serves as the substrate for the kidney proximal tubule 25(OH)D3-1α-hydroxylase enzyme which produces the steroid hormone 1α,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 [1α,25(OH)2D3].

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) can lead to a range of deleterious responses in the skin. An important form of damage is the DNA photolesion cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD). CPDs can be highly mutagenic if not repaired prior to cell division and can lead to UV-induced immunosuppression, making them potentially carcinogenic. UVR exposure also produces vitamin D, a prehormone. Different shapes of the steroid hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] can produce biological responses through binding either to its cognate nuclear receptor (VDR) to regulate gene transcription or to the VDR associated with plasma membrane caveolae to produce, via signal transduction, nongenomic physiologic responses. Here, we show that both 1,25(OH)2D3 and 1α,25(OH)2-lumisterol (JN), a conformationally restricted analogue that can generate only nongenomic responses, are effective inhibitors of UV damage in an immunocompetent mouse (Skh:hr1) model susceptible to UV-induced tumors. Both 1,25(OH)2D3 and JN significantly reduced UVR-induced CPD, apoptotic sunburn cells, and immunosuppression. Furthermore, these compounds inhibited skin tumor development, both papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas, in these mice. The observed reduction of these UV-induced effects by 1,25(OH)2D3 and JN suggests a role for these compounds in prevention against skin carcinogenesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive report of an in vivo long-term biological response generated by chronic dosing with a nongenomic-selective vitamin D steroid. Cancer Prev Res; 4(9); 1485–94. ©2011 AACR.

The conformationally flexible secosteroid, 1α,25(OH) 2 vitamin D 3 (1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 ) initiates biological responses via binding to the vitamin D receptor (VDR). The VDR contains two overlapping ligand binding sites, a genomic pocket (VDR-GP) and an alternative pocket (VDR-AP), that respectively bind a bowl-like ligand configuration (gene transcription) or a planar-like ligand shape (rapid responses). When occupied by 1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 , the VDR-GP interacts with the retinoid X receptor to form a heterodimer that binds to vitamin D responsive elements in the region of genes directly controlled by 1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 . By recruiting complexes of either coactivators or corepressors, activated VDR modulates the transcription of genes encoding proteins that promulgate the traditional genomic functions of vitamin D, including signaling intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption to effect skeletal and calcium homeostasis. 1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 /VDR control of gene expression and rapid responses also delays chronic diseases of aging such as osteoporosis, cancer, type-1 and -2 diabetes, arteriosclerosis, vascular disease, and infection.

Molecular modeling results indicate that the VDR contains two overlapping ligand binding pockets (LBP). Differential ligand stability and fractional occupancy of the two LBP has been physiochemically linked to the regulation of VDR-dependent genomic and non-genomic cellular responses. The purpose of this report is to develop an unbiased molecular modeling protocol that serves as a good starting point in simulating the dynamic interaction between 1alpha,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 (1,25D3) and the VDR LBP. To accomplish this goal, the flexible docking protocol developed allowed for flexibility in the VDR ligand and the VDR atoms that form the surfaces of the VDR LBP. This approach blindly replicated the 1,25D3 conformation and side-chain dynamics observed in the VDR X-ray structure. The results are also consistent with the previously published tenants of the vitamin D sterol (VDS)-VDR conformational ensemble model. Furthermore, we used flexible docking in combination with whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and steroid competition assays to demonstrate that (a) new non-vitamin D VDR ligands show a different pocket selectivity when compared to 1,25D3 that is qualitatively consistent with their ability to stimulate chloride channels and (b) a new route of ligand binding provides a novel hypothesis describing the structural nuances that underlie hypercalceamia.

Steroids exert their actions through several pathways. The classical genomic pathway, which involves binding of steroids to receptors and subsequent modulation of gene expression, is well characterized. Besides this, rapid actions of steroids have been shown to exist. Since 30 years, research on rapid actions of steroids is an emerging field of science. Today, rapid effects of steroids are well established, and are shown to exist for every type of steroid. The classical steroid receptors have been shown to be involved in rapid actions, but there is also strong evidence that unrelated structures mediate these rapid effects. Despite increasing knowledge about the mechanisms and structures which mediate these actions, there is still no unanimous acceptance of this category. This article briefly reviews the history of the field including current controversies and challenges. It is not meant as a broad review of literature, but should increase the awareness of the endocrinology society for rapid responses to steroids. As members of the organizing committee of the VI International Meeting on Rapid Responses to Steroid Hormones 2009, we propose a research agenda focusing on the identification of new receptoral structures and the identification of mechanisms of actions at physiological steroid concentrations. Additionally, efforts for the propagation of translational studies, which should finally lead to clinical benefit in the area of rapid steroid action research, should be intensified.

Sertoli cell secretory activities are highly dependent on ion channel functions and critical to spermatogenesis. The steroid hormone 1alpha,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2-D3) stimulates exocytosis in different cell systems by activating a nongenotropic vitamin D receptor (VDR). Here, we described 1,25(OH)2-D3 stimulation of secretion via Cl(-) channel activation in the mouse immature Sertoli cell line TM4. 1,25(OH)2-D3 potentiation of chloride currents was dependent on hormone concentration, and correlated with a significant increase in whole-cell capacitance within 20-40 min. In addition, Cl(-) currents were potentiated by the nongenomic VDR agonist 1alpha,25(OH)2 lumisterol D3 (JN), while 1,25(OH)2-D3 potentiation of channels was suppressed by nongenomic VDR antagonist 1beta,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 (HL). Treatment of TM4 cells with PKC and PKA activators PMA and forskolin respectively, increased Cl(-) currents significantly, while PKC and PKA inhibitors Go6983 and H-89, respectively, abolished 1,25(OH)2-D3 stimulation of Cl(-) currents, suggesting phosphorylation pathways in 1,25(OH))2-D3 mediated channel responses. RT-PCR demonstrated the expression of outwardly rectifying ClC-3 channels in TM4 cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate a PKA/PKC-dependent 1,25(OH)2-D3/VDR nongenotropic pathway leading to Cl(-) channel and exocytosis activation in Sertoli cells. We conclude that 1,25(OH)2-D3 appears to be a modulator of male reproductive functions at least in part by stimulating Sertoli cell secretory functions.

Transport of 45Ca from the lumen to the venous effluent was studied in duodena of normal, vitamin D3-replete (+D) chicks perfused through the celiac artery with 130 pM 1,25(OH)2D3 or vehicle. Administration of actinomycin D 3 h prior to perfusion did not alter the unstimulated transport rate or diminish the response to exogenous 1,25(OH)2D3: After 40 min exposure to the seco-steroid, 45Ca in the vascular effluent was 140% of control levels. The anti-microfilament agent cytochalasin b and the ionophore monensin, an inhibitor of Golgi function, similarly failed to suppress 1,25(OH)2D3-stimulated calcium transport. In pilot studies, Golgi and basal-lateral membrane fractions were prepared from duodenal epithelium of vitamin D-deficient (-D) chicks treated with vehicle or 650 pmol of 1,25(OH)2D3in vivo 2 h, 10 h, or 15 h before sacrifice, as well as from +D birds. Analyses of Golgi fractions for cathepsin B (CB) activity revealed a biphasic response with time, increasing to 200% of -D levels 2 h after 1,25(OH)2D3 administration and in equivalent preparations from +D birds. Less pronounced increases in acid phosphatase activity were observed in the same membrane fractions. In basal-lateral membranes, enhanced CB activity was detectable 10 h after 1,25(OH)2D3in vivo, rose to 155% of -D levels at 15 h, and to 245% of controls in fractions from +D birds, whereas acid phosphatase was 75%, 81%, and 125% of controls, respectively, at these times. Levels of CB in whole homogenates from which membranes were isolated rose to 200% of controls at 2 h and 10 h after 1,25(OH)2D3, but declined to 112% of controls in +D chicks. Acid phosphatase levels in the same homogenates were lower than or equivalent to control levels. These findings suggested additional perfusion studies in normal birds. Although vascular perfusion with iodoacetate and 1,25(OH)2D3, or leupeptin and 1,25(OH)2D3, failed to inhibit the effect of the vitamin D metabolite, 1,25(OH)2D3-enhanced calcium transport was abolished by addition of 1 mM leupeptin to the lumenal medium, but not by 1 mM pepstatin. The combined data suggest that lysosomes or their hydrolases may be involved in 1,25(OH)2D3-mediated transport of calcium across intestinal epithelial cells.

The profile of structural preference for the ligand binding domain of the human vitamin D binding protein (DBP) was determined by steroid competition assay of 71 analogs of 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1 alpha,25(OH)2D3]. The following categories of structural modification were evaluated [values represent fold change; R = reduction, I = increase in binding to the DBP from the reference 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3]: (1) deletion in the A ring of the 1 alpha-hydroxyl-(20-1600I); (2) conversion of the triene system to the previtamin form (6-40R); (3) addition of substituents to carbon 11 of the C ring (4-14R); (4) inversion of the C/D ring junction (8-20R); (5) unsaturation of the D ring (16-ene; 4-140R); (6) replacement of hydrogen with deuterium atoms (no effect); alteration of the side chain by (7) adding or deleting carbon atoms (5-12R); (8) addition of fluorines (0.2-10R); (9) presence of unsaturation (22-ene, 0-5R; 23-ene, 3R-10I; 23-yne, 5-20R); (10) addition of hydroxyls (2-100R); and (11) addition of an aromatic ring (0-20I). Thus the DBP ligand binding domain could tolerate only modest changes to the structure of 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3 without a reduction in binding of the analog. The increases in binding seen in the aromatic side chain and with a triple bond at carbon-23 may be indicative of a preferred conformation of the flexible 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3 side chain. In addition, a comparison was made of the DBP ligand binding domain with that of the human HL-60 cell 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3 nuclear receptor. Both ligand binding domains could equivalently accommodate to the presence of (1) a side-chain cyclopropyl group, (2) 22-ene or 23-yne, (3) lengthening the side chain by two carbons, (4) presence of four to six fluorine atoms, (5) substitution of an oxygen for carbon 22, and (6) presence of a 22-[m-(dimethylhydroxymethyl)phenyl] aromatic group in the side chain. The DPB could tolerate better than the HL-60 cell receptor the presence of a 22-(p-hydroxyphenyl) aromatic group in the side chain and the absence of the 1 alpha-hydroxyl. In contrast, the HL-60 cell receptor could tolerate better than the DBP the following structural modifications: presence of a 16-ene, or 16-ene plus 23-yne unsaturation, and presence of an 11 beta-hydroxyl.

Fifteen hours after the intracardiac administration of a physiological dose (0.65 nmole) of radioactive cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) to rachitic chicks, the bulk of the radioactivity in the plasma, liver, and intestine exists as three polar metabolites. These are designated Metabolites 4A, 4B, and 4C on the basis of their chromatographic mobility on silicic acid columns. After doses of 0.65 to 6.5 nmoles of cholecalciferol, the predominant metabolite found in the plasma is 4A with smaller amounts of 4B and 4C. In the intestine, a primary target tissue of cholecalciferol, the predominant metabolite is 4B, with much smaller amounts of 4A and 4C. Metabolite 4A from both the plasma and intestine is tentatively identified as 25-hydroxycholecalciferol on the basis of its migration with 25-hydroxycholecalciferol during silicic acid column chromatography. The biological activity of Metabolites 4A and 4B was examined with an assay which measures intestinal calcium transport, in vivo. Both 4A and 4B have biological activity significantly greater than equivalent amounts of cholecalciferol. The kinetics of the appearance of Metabolite 4B in the intestine and its binding to intestinal chromatin are consistent with the lag in the physiological response to cholecalciferol. When radioactive Metabolite 4A is administered to rachitic chicks, the bulk of the plasma radioactivity remains as 4A, but the predominant metabolite found in the intestine is 4B. These data support the concept that Metabolite 4B may be the biologically active form of cholecalciferol in the intestine and that 25-hydroxycholecalciferol is an intermediate in its formation.

New knowledge of the biological and clinical importance of the steroid hormone 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)] and its receptor, the vitamin D receptor (VDR), has resulted in significant contributions to good bone health. However, worldwide reports have highlighted a variety of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency diseases. Despite many publications and scientific meetings reporting advances in vitamin D science, a disturbing realization is growing that the newer scientific and clinical knowledge is not being translated into better human health. Over the past several decades, the biological sphere of influence of vitamin D(3), as defined by the tissue distribution of the VDR, has broadened at least 9-fold from the target organs required for calcium homeostasis (intestine, bone, kidney, and parathyroid). Now, research has shown that the pluripotent steroid hormone 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) initiates the physiologic responses of >/=36 cell types that possess the VDR. In addition to the kidney's endocrine production of circulating 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3,) researchers have found a paracrine production of this steroid hormone in >/=10 extrarenal organs. This article identifies the fundamentals of the vitamin D endocrine system, including its potential for contributions to good health in 5 physiologic arenas in which investigators have clearly documented new biological actions of 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) through the VDR. As a consequence, the nutritional guidelines for vitamin D(3) intake (defined by serum hydroxyvitamin D(3) concentrations) should be reevaluated, taking into account the contributions to good health that all 36 VDR target organs can provide.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis, and its biologically active metabolite, 1alpha,25 dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)), has pleiotropic immune effects. The mechanisms by which 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) protects against tuberculosis are incompletely understood. 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) reduced the growth of mycobacteria in infected human PBMC cultures in a dose-dependent fashion. Coculture with agonists or antagonists of the membrane or nuclear vitamin D receptors indicated that these effects were primarily mediated by the nuclear vitamin D receptors. 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) reduced transcription and secretion of protective IFN-gamma, IL-12p40, and TNF in infected PBMC and macrophages, indicating that 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) does not mediate protection via these cytokines. Although NOS2A was up-regulated by 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3), inhibition of NO formation marginally affected the suppressive effect of 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) on bacillus Calmette Guérin in infected cells. By contrast, 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) strongly up-regulated the cathelicidin hCAP-18 gene, and some hCAP-18 polypeptide colocalized with CD14 in 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) stimulated PBMC, although no detectable LL-37 peptide was found in supernatants from similar 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)-stimulated PBMC cultures. A total of 200 mug/ml of the active peptide LL-37, in turn, reduced the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in culture by 75.7%. These findings suggest that vitamin D contributes to protection against TB by "nonclassical" mechanisms that include the induction of antimicrobial peptides.

Vitamin D is produced by exposure of 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin to UV irradiation (UVR) and further converted in the skin to the biologically active metabolite, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)) and other compounds. UVR also results in DNA damage producing cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD). We previously reported that 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) at picomolar concentrations, protects human skin cells from UVR-induced apoptosis, and decreases CPD in surviving cells. 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) has been shown to generate biological responses via two pathways-the classical steroid receptor/genomic pathway or a rapid, non-genomic pathway mediated by a putative membrane receptor. Whether the rapid response pathway is physiologically relevant is unclear. A cis-locked, rapid-acting agonist 1,25(OH)(2)lumisterol(3) (JN), entirely mimicked the actions of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) to reduce fibroblast and keratinocyte loss and CPD damage after UVR. The effects of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) were abolished by a rapid-acting antagonist, but not by a genomic antagonist. Skh:hr1 mice exposed to three times the minimal erythemal dose of solar-simulated UVR and treated topically with 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) or JN immediately after UVR showed reduction in UVR-induced UVR-induced sunburn cells (p

The endocrine physiology of the male involves the interplay of the several hormones associated with male sex determination, fetal development, postnatal growth, and sexual maturation as well as the maintenance of the male secondary sex characteristics. Its integrated operation is dependent upon the interaction of signals—both hormonal and neural—between the central nervous system, hypothalamus, pituitary, and testes. The two major functions of the testes are steroid hormone production and spermatogenesis. The hormones responsible for the development and maintenance of the male phenotype are the hypothalamic hormones GnRH and kisspeptin; the pituitary gonadotropins, LH and FSH, the androgenic steroid hormones, testosterone (produced by the gonads) and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (synthesized by certain target tissues; see Chapter 2); anti-Mullerian hormone, produced by the fetal testis; and inhibin, a protein hormone produced by the gonads in both sexes. The female steroid hormone, estradiol, also plays important roles in the male. This chapter discusses the biology and biochemistry of these hormones in the male. Because the male genotype and fetal testicular hormone production play such crucial roles in sexual differentiation, this topic is covered in this chapter as well, along with its final postnatal developmental step, puberty.

The pineal gland was identified as a distinct structural component of the vertebrate brain for several centuries prior to its description in the human by Galen of Pergamon (c. 130–200). It is now understood that the main function of the pineal is to receive information about the current state of the light–dark cycle from the environment and convey this information through the secretion of the hormone melatonin to the internal physiological systems of the body. Relative to other endocrine and neuroendocrine systems, the pineal gland has undergone a great deal of change during its evolutionary development. In cold-blooded vertebrates, the cells of the pineal gland include photoreceptors that contact neurons to communicate with other organs in the body. The avian pineal gland is also a directly photosensory organ and secretes melatonin in response to this signal. In mammals, pinealocytes producing melatonin have replaced photoreceptors and the gland receives its information about light and darkness from the retina through multiple neuronal connections. Melatonin is secreted during the dark period of the day and, through its elevated blood levels, informs, through specific cell receptors, the peripheral organs and tissues regarding the light/dark cycle. In addition to its function of sending information to the periphery regarding light and dark, melatonin from the pineal gland also contributes to the entrainment of the central SCN oscillator to the light–dark cycle. This chapter covers the anatomical features of the pineal gland, the synthesis and secretion of melatonin, the biological actions of melatonin, and various clinical aspects related to the pineal gland.

This chapter covers hormones of the kidney, heart, and circulatory system, which together play zan indispensable role in the maintenance of life in higher organisms. This includes maintaining the constancy of many components of the extracellular fluid, including the filtering of nitrogenous wastes and maintenance of normal blood pressure, but also as major sources of hormones. The kidney occupies a unique position within the physiological network of the living organism, functioning as the ultimate organ for the monitoring and conservation of body water and all its electrolyte constituents, as well as many small organic molecules. In addition, the kidney plays an important physiological role in maintaining a correct acid–base balance in the circulatory system. Thus it is not surprising to see an array of hormone production sites, as well as sites of hormone action concentrated in the kidney. Many aspects of these physiological structures and processes are also closely linked to the process of blood pressure regulation. Accordingly, a secondary objective of this chapter is to introduce the hormonal aspects of the cardiovascular system. The chapter provides an introduction to 11 hormones that are produced by or have a major action on the cardiovascular system.

A feature essential for life of higher vertebrates is their ability to maintain a relatively constant blood glucose concentration. Superimposed on the requirement for the maintenance of a constant blood glucose level are the perturbations in blood glucose that may occur naturally as a consequence of ongoing physiological and metabolic events. The endocrine gland largely responsible for the maintenance of blood glucose levels and the appropriate cellular uptake and exchange of “fuel metabolites” is the pancreas. The principal hormones secreted by the pancreas are insulin and glucagon; in addition, the pancreas also secretes somatostatin, pancreatic polypeptide (PP), and gastrin. This chapter covers the integrated actions of glucagon and insulin to effect blood glucose homeostasis, and the chemistry, biochemistry, and biological activities of the pancreatic hormones. Clinical aspects are also covered.

Through the secretion of thyroxine, T4, and its active derivative, T3, the thyroid governs myriad physiological events which bring about functional alterations in virtually all metabolic pathways and organs. Thyroid hormone modulates oxygen consumption and basal metabolic rate (BMR), as well as lipid, carbohydrate, and protein metabolism. It has fundamental effects on the nervous system both during development and in childhood and adulthood. Thyroid hormone regulates the synthesis and degradation rates of numerous proteins, including other growth factors and hormones, so that many of its effects emerge as secondary influences on other endocrine pathways. The effects of thyroid hormone fall into two categories of biological responses: (a) effects on cellular differentiation and development, particularly, but not limited to, the nervous system; and (b) effects on metabolic pathways through which the body uses carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. These two actions are interconnected in that changes in development and growth are both a cause and a consequence of hormonal modulation of metabolism. This chapter covers thyroid hormone secretion, its regulation, and its actions and some of their mechanisms, setting the stage to observe the results of excess or insufficiency of this hormone. The symptoms of the most common disease states of the thyroid gland, covered here, are a direct consequence of an interruption of the known actions of its hormones. Furthermore, treatments of these conditions are based directly on our understanding of the mechanisms of the synthesis of thyroid hormone and its regulation.

The oral cavity, stomach, intestine, colon, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas operate as an integrated physiological unit to effect the digestion and absorption of dietary acquired nutrients. This chapter focuses on the gastrointestinal hormones. There are ~30 peptides known to be expressed within the digestive tract, thus making the stomach, intestine, and colon the largest endocrine organ in the body. The regulatory peptides synthesized by the gut include hormones, growth factors, and peptide neurotransmitters. The gastrointestinal hormones are a family of polypeptides produced by specialized endocrine cells present in the stomach, intestine, and colon which function both as traditional hormonal messengers and as neurotransmitters. These hormones mediate a wide variety of specific biological responses carried out by the stomach, intestine, and colon, as well as the endocrine and exocrine pancreas, liver, and gallbladder, which, when collectively integrated, optimize the physiological conditions necessary to permit the efficient digestion and absorption of protein, carbohydrates, and fat as well as minerals and vitamins from the lumen of the intestine. There is also increasing evidence of neuroendocrine communication between the brain and gut that provides an additional level of integration and complexity to these digestive processes.

Glucocorticoids are a family of steroid hormones that are essential to life. The primary glucocorticoid is cortisol. It acts on different cells in a variety of different ways. Without the secretion of cortisol during stress, a human could not survive. An important result of glucocorticoid action is to stimulate the production of glycogen, especially in the liver, and to maintain blood glucose concentration. The process of gluconeogenesis is a classic biochemical transformation of noncarbohydrate “carbon,” e.g. glycerol, pyruvate, lactose, glucogenic amino acids (e.g. glutamine, alanine and all the amino acids of the TCA cycle) and fatty acids with an odd number of carbons into glucose for storage as glycogen. The primary focus of this chapter is to describe the biological functions of six steroids important to or related to the glucocorticoids and three important steroid drug forms. However, these nine biologically important steroids are a small number compared to the ~100 steroids that are covered in Chapter 2 of this book. (Chapter 2 provides an extensive review of the fundamental chemistry of steroids and their biological production by a large family of steroid enzymes which are required to convert cholesterol into each of the steroids that have functions in human cells.)

A large group of molecules are referred to and named using the term growth factor. These molecules have one or more of the following activities that lead to an altered growth rate of a particular cell type: (i) increasing cell mass by stimulating the production and/or inhibiting the degradation of macromolecules; (ii) increasing cell number by stimulating the rate of cell division, referred to as mitogenic activity; (iii) increasing cell number through increased cell survival due to inhibition of apoptosis. Growth factors can have either positive or negative influences on these processes and their activities vary with cell type and the developmental stage of the organism. The activity of any one growth factor in a particular cell will be determined by its own state (active or latent); the presence of a receptor, and, in some cases, a co-receptor in the cell membrane; and the necessary signaling machinery inside the cell. In addition, the presence of other extracellular signaling molecules can impact the activity of a growth factor at a target cell. The goal of this chapter is to introduce five classes of growth factors with the emphasis on the structures of their members and the receptors that mediate their actions. Because of the great diversity of specific biological outcomes of the action of the growth factors on particular cells, no attempt is made to enumerate these. Rather the focus is on understanding the nature of the molecules engaged in these processes so that approaches to moderating their activities, particularly in the clinical setting of cancer, can be understood.

The objective of this book is to provide a status report on the field of human hormones, viewed in the light of the current understanding of cellular and subcellular architecture, as well as the molecular details of their mode of action. In this first chapter, some of the first principles of hormone action are presented as a foundation for the more specific considerations of individual hormonal systems in the chapters that follow.

The pituitary gland has often been called “the master gland” because so many important functions are governed by the hormones it secretes. In this chapter readers see that the pituitary hormones are under the control of both the central nervous system, especially the hypothalamus and the secretions of the distal endocrine glands, and other internal signals. The hypothalamic releasing hormones function to control the secretions of the anterior pituitary hormones, either positively or negatively. The hormones secreted by the distal endocrine glands exert, in general, negative feedback effects in the brain and in the anterior pituitary. There are many signals originating either outside or inside the body that are mediated by the central nervous system. Thus, changes in the environment can ultimately stimulate the secretion of hypothalamic releasing hormones, which, through their effects on pituitary hormonal secretion allow the body to adapt to the change. Likewise, signals from within the organism can trigger this cascade system so that secretion of hormones from distant target glands can be affected. The chapter covers control cascades; anatomical relationships; structure, synthesis, secretion, and target cells of the hypothalamic releasing hormones; chemistry of the anterior pituitary hormones; regulation and biological actions of growth hormone and prolactin; involvement of the hypothalamus in appetite regulation; and clinical aspects of the hypothalamus and pituitary.

The ultimate purpose of reproduction is to produce a new female or male in order to maintain the species. This process, known as procreation, requires the meeting of a competent sperm with a fertilizable ovum, the development of the resulting zygote into an individual (pregnancy) and the delivery of that individual from the uterus to the outside world (parturition). There is a window of time in which each of these events must occur for an optimal outcome so that coordination of several biological processes is required throughout each successful procreative undertaking. In mammals procreation includes the required nourishment of the offspring from the mother for a period of time following birth (lactation). However, the fundamental unit of reproductive biology is not the individual, but the triad of the mother, father, and offspring. This chapter describes the human endocrinology that is unique to the processes of pregnancy, parturition, and lactation.

Eicosanoids are a class of molecules derived from 20-carbon (“eicosa” is Greek for 20) polyunsaturated fatty acids, most frequently arachidonic acid. The eicosanoids include the prostaglandins (PG), thromboxanes (TX), leukotrienes (LT), and lipoxins (LX). These molecules almost always act on the cells that produce them or on neighboring cells, i.e., over short distances and time periods, and therefore can be classified as autocrine/paracrine hormones. They are widely distributed in the cells and tissues of the body and have wide-ranging biological actions. The eicosanoids play important roles in endocrine systems. Virtually every other endocrinological/physiological system discussed in the other chapters of this book also involves the local production and action of one or more of the eicosanoids. This chapter first focuses on the structure and nomenclature of the eicosanoids, the pathways by which they are synthesized and the important enzymes involved in these pathways. The current understanding of the cellular receptors for the eicosanoids is followed by a few examples of their biological activity and current areas of their clinical importance.

This chapter deals with the structural chemistry and biosynthetic pathways of the major classes of steroid hormones. All have a complicated structure of fused rings which can be modified by functional group substitution at many points. Furthermore, the presence of asymmetric carbon atoms introduces steric modifications and isomeric possibilities. The reader will find it prudent to first grasp the essential features of the steroid structures and relationships before attempting to delve into a consideration of their specific hormonal activities in later chapters. Then, when so doing, it may be helpful to turn back to the appropriate portion of this chapter to further heighten understanding of the structures of the hormones under review.

This chapter focuses on four hormones: parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin (CT), a steroid hormone metabolically produced from vitamin D3, namely 1α,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 [1α,25(OH)2D3] and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23). Historically, the first three have been intimately involved in calcium and phosphate homeostasis. However, as a consequence of major advances in biological research over the past 30 years, these four hormones have been discovered to have many additional assignments. For optimal growth and function, organisms with a skeleton require an adequate supply of calcium and phosphate to meet both their structural and metabolic needs. These higher organisms must be dietarily supplied with calcium and phosphate on a regular basis. The plasma concentrations of these substances are maintained within a surprisingly narrow limit by an endogenous hormonal control mechanism. The maintenance of calcium and phosphate homeostasis involves the delicate and coordinated interrelationships of absorption by the intestine, accretion by bone osteoblasts and reabsorption by bone osteoclasts, and renal tubular reabsorption and/or urinary excretion of calcium and phosphate by the kidney. This chapter discusses the details of related anatomy, processes, and hormonal mechanisms.

With its discovery in 1920, the molecule vitamin D achieved prominence as a nutritionally essential vitamin important for calcium homeostasis, particularly in the intestine and bone. Then in 1932, the elucidation of vitamin D's chemical structure revealed that this vitamin was in fact a steroid. But it was not until the late 1960s that it was appreciated that the steroid vitamin D was a precursor of a new steroid hormone, 1alpha,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 [1alpha,25(OH)2D3], that is produced by the kidney acting as an endocrine gland. The discovery in 1969 of the nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR) for 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 initiated a two-decade-long proliferation of reports that collectively described the broad sphere of influence of the vitamin D endocrine system that is defined by the presence of the VDR in over 30 tissue/organs of man. The new genomic frontiers defined by the cellular presence of the VDR include the immune system's B and T lymphocytes, hair follicle, muscle, adipose tissue, bone marrow, and cancer cells. Unexpectedly in the mid 1980s, a new world of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3-mediated rapid responses (RR) was discovered. These were responses that occurred too rapidly (minutes to an hour) to be explained as the simple consequence of the nuclear VDR regulating gene transcription. Some RR examples include the rapid intestinal absorption of calcium (transcaltachia), secretion of insulin by pancreatic beta-cells, opening of voltage-gated Ca2+ and Cl- channels in osteoblasts, and the rapid migration of endothelial cells. The question then arose as to whether there was a second receptor, apart from the nuclear VDR, which responded to the presence of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 to generate RR? After some false starts, it now appears that the classic VDR, long known to reside in the cell nucleus, in some cells is also associated with caveolae present in the plasma membrane. Furthermore, the chemical properties of the conformationally flexible 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 allow it to generate different shaped ligands for the VDR that are selective either for genomic or for RR. This minireview summarizes a proposed conformational ensemble model of the VDR that provides insight into how different ligand shapes of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 acting through the VDR in different cellular locations can selectively mediate both genomic and RR.

The steroid hormone 1alpha,25(OH)(2)-Vitamin D(3) (1,25D) activates both genomic and non-genomic intracellular signaling cascades. It is also well recognized that co-incubation of 1,25D with its C-1 epimer, 1beta,25D (HL), suppresses the efficiency of the non-genomic signal activated by 1,25D alone and that its C-3 epimer, 3alpha-1,25D (HJ) is nearly as potent as 1,25D in suppressing PTH secretion, believed to be propagated by 1,25D's genomic signaling. Both these sterols lack the hypercalcemic effect induced by pharmacological doses of 1,25D and have reduced VDR affinity compared to 1,25D, as measured in a steroid competition assay. Recent functional studies suggest that the VDR is required for both non-genomic and genomic signaling. Along these lines we have recently proposed a Vitamin D sterol/VDR conformational ensemble model that posits the VDR contains two distinct, yet overlapping ligand binding sites, and that the potential differential stabilities of 1,25D and HL in these two pockets can be used to explain their different non-genomic signaling properties. The overlapping region is predominantly occupied by the sterol's A-ring when it is bound to either the genomic ligand binding pocket (G-pocket), defined by X-ray crystallography, or the alternative ligand binding pocket (A-pocket), discovered using in silico techniques (directed docking). Therefore, to gain further insight into the potential application of this model we docked the other A-ring diastereomer [(1beta,3alpha)=HH] of 1,25D and its 1- and 3-deoxy forms (25D and CF, respectively) to the A- and G-pockets to assess their potential stabilities in the pockets, relative to 1,25D. The models were then used to provide putative mechanistic arguments for their known structure-function experimental results. This model may provide new insights into how Vitamin D sterols that uncouple the unwanted hypercalcemic effect from attractive growth inhibitory/differentiation properties can do so by differentially stabilizing different subpopulations of VDR conformational ensemble members.

Over the past 20 years much has been learned about the cellular actions of the steroid hormone 1alpha,25(OH)2-Vitamin D3 (1,25D). Perhaps most importantly structure-function studies led to the discovery that different chemical and physical features of 1,25D are preferred to initiate either exonuclear, non-genomic or endonuclear, genomic cellular signaling. It is well documented that both a 1alpha-OH and 25-OH, and a 6-s-trans, bowl-shaped, sterol conformation are absolutely required for efficient gene transcription, while 6-s-cis locked analogs and 1-deoxy, 25(OH)D3 metabolites activate a variety of non-genomic, rapid responses. These results and the observation that S237 (helix-3; H3) and R274 (H5) are the most static residues in the human 1,25D-Vitamin D receptor (VDR) X-ray construct (see B-values in pdb: 1DB1) and form H-bonds with the 1alpha-OH of 1,25D in the X-ray, genomic pocket (G-pocket), provided the basis for the molecular modeling experiments that led to the discovery of a putative VDR alternative ligand binding pocket (A-pocket). The conformational ensemble model generated from the in silico results provides an explanation for how the VDR can function as a receptor propagating both genomic and non-genomic signaling events. In this report the theoretical gating properties controlling ligand access to the A- and G-pockets will be compared and the model will be used to provide a molecular explanation for the confusing structure-function results pertaining to 1,25D, its side-chain metabolite, 23S,25R-1alpha,25(OH)2-D3-26,23-lactone (BS), and its synthetic two side-chain analog, 21-(3'-hydroxy-3'-methylbutyl)-1alpha,25(OH)2-D3 (KH or Gemini). In addition, evidence that the model is consistent with the pH requirement for Vitamin D sterol-VDR crystallization will be presented.

We synthesized all eight possible A-ring diastereomers of 2-methyl substituted analogs of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1alpha,25(OH)2D3] and also all eight A-ring diastereomers of 2-methyl-20-epi-1alpha,25(OH)2D3. Their biological activities, especially the antagonistic effect on non-genomic pathway-mediated responses induced by 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 or its 6-s-cis-conformer analog, 1alpha,25(OH)2-lumisterol3, were assessed using an NB4 cell differentiation system. Antagonistic activity was observed for the 1beta-hydroxyl diastereomers, including 2beta-methyl-1beta,25(OH)2D3 and 2beta-methyl-3-epi-1beta,25(OH)2D3. Very interestingly, 2beta-methyl-3-epi-1alpha,25(OH)2D3 also antagonized the non-genomic pathway, despite its 1alpha-hydroxyl group. Other 1alpha-hydroxyl diastereomers did not show antagonistic activity. 20-epimerization diminished the antagonistic effect of all of these analogs on the non-genomic pathway. These findings suggested that the combination of the 2-methyl substitution of the A-ring and 20-epimerization of the side chain could alter the biological activities in terms of antagonism of non-genomic pathway-mediated biological response. Based on a previous report, 2-methyl substitution alters the equilibrium of the A-ring conformation between the alpha- and beta-chair conformers. The 2beta-methyl diastereomers, which exhibited antagonism on non-genomic pathway-mediated response, were considered to prefer the beta-conformer. Further examination to elucidate the relationship between the altered ligand shape and receptors interaction will be important for molecular level understanding of the mechanism of antagonism of the non-genomic pathway.

Because sex steroids regulate the life span of bone cells by modulating cytoplasmic kinase activity via a nongenotropic action of their classical receptors, we have explored the possibility that the vitamin D nuclear receptor (VDR) might exhibit similar nongenotropic actions. We report that the conformationally flexible full VDR agonist, 1alpha,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 (1alpha,25(OH)2D3), and the 6-s-cis-locked 1alpha,25(OH)2-lumisterol3 (JN) analog, also acting through the VDR but with poor transcriptional activity, protected murine osteoblastic or osteocytic cells from apoptosis. This effect was reproduced in HeLa cells transiently transfected with either wild type VDR or a mutant consisting of only the VDR ligand binding domain. The VDR ligand binding domain bound [3H]1alpha,25(OH)2D3 as effectively as wild type VDR but did not induce vitamin D response element-mediated transcription. The anti-apoptotic effects of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 and the 6-s-cis-locked 1alpha,25(OH)2-lumisterol3 analog in calvaria cells were blocked by three cytoplasmic kinase inhibitors: Src kinase inhibitor 4-amino-5-(4-methylphenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine (PP1), phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase inhibitor Wortmannin, and the JNK kinase inhibitor SP600125. However, inhibition of p38 with SB203580 or ERK with either U0126 or a transfected dominant negative MEK did not interfere with these anti-apoptotic actions. Further, 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 induced rapid (5 min) association of VDR with Src kinase in OB-6 cells. Finally, actinomycin D or cycloheximide prevented the anti-apoptotic effect of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3, indicating that transcriptional events are also required. These findings suggest that nongenotropic modulation of kinase activity is also a general property of the VDR and that ligands that activate nongenotropic signals, but lack transcriptional activity, display different biological profiles from the steroid hormone 1alpha,25(OH)2D3.

The hormonal form of vitamin D, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 (1,25D), generates many biological actions by interactions with its nuclear receptor (VDR). The presence of a carbon-25 hydroxyl group is necessary for optimizing binding to the VDR. To examine the effect of spatial orientation of the 25-hydroxyl, two pairs of 22,23-allene sidechain analogs were studied. The 22R orientation in analogs HR (52 ± 2%) and LA (154 ± 19%) resulted in higher affinity binding than the 22S orientation of analogs HQ (21 ± 3%) and LB (3.5 ± 1.3%; 1,25D = 100%). Limited trypsin proteolysis showed that 22R analogs induced VDR conformational changes better able to protect VDR from digestion than 22S analogs. 22R analogs were also able to induce gene transcription at 10–100-fold lower concentrations than 1,25D; 22S analogs were less effective. Analog LA was at least 10-fold more potent than 1,25D at inducing differentiation, while the other analogs were less potent. None of the analogs were as potent as 1,25D in promoting in vivo intestinal calcium absorption or bone calcium mobilization. LA was the most potent of the analogs but required 20–30-fold higher doses than 1,25D. The 25-hydroxyl orientation combined with the 16,17-ene functionality of analog LA enhances its ability to interact with VDR and induce biological actions.

The steroid hormone 1α,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 (1,25D) regulates gene transcription through a nuclear receptor [vitamin D receptor (VDR)] and initiation of rapid cellular responses through a putative plasma membrane-associated receptor (VDRmem). This study characterized the VDRmem present in a caveolae-enriched membrane fraction (CMF), a site of accumulation of signal transduction agents. Saturable and specific [3H]-1,25D binding in vitro was found in CMF of chick, rat, and mouse intestine; mouse lung and kidney; and human NB4 leukemia and rat ROS 17/2.8 osteoblast-like cells; in all cases the 1,25D KD binding dissociation constant = 1–3 nm. Our data collectively support the classical VDR being the VDRmem in caveolae: 1) VDR antibody immunoreactivity was detected in CMF of all tissues tested; 2) competitive binding of [3H]-1,25D by eight analogs of 1,25D was significantly correlated between nuclei and CMF (r2 = 0.95) but not between vitamin D binding protein (has a different ligand binding specificity) and CMF; 3) confocal immunofluorescence microscopy of ROS 17/2.8 cells showed VDR in close association with the caveolae marker protein, caveolin-1, in the plasma membrane region; 4) in vivo 1,25D pretreatment reduced in vitro [3H]-1,25D binding by 30% in chick and rat intestinal CMF demonstrating in vivo occupancy of the CMF receptor by 1,25D; and 5) comparison of [3H]-1,25D binding in VDR KO and WT mouse kidney tissue showed 85% reduction in VDR KO CMF and 95% reduction in VDR KO nuclear fraction. This study supports the presence of VDR as the 1,25D-binding protein associated with plasma membrane caveolae.

Rapid nongenomic responses to steroids include modulation of ion channel activities on the cell membrane of target cells, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved. In this paper we investigate the mechanisms underlying the combined action of the secosteroid hormone 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1alpha,25(OH)(2)D3] on three different ion channel types in rat osteoblasts, which include a voltage-gated L-type Ca(2+) channel, a mechanosensitive Cl(-) channel, and a stretch-activated cation (SA-Cat) channel. We found that physiological nanomolar concentrations of 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D3 rapidly modify the overall electrical activity of the membrane in ROS 17/2.8 cells. 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D3 increases the osteoblast L-type Ca(2+) channel activity at low depolarizing voltages in a fashion similar to the 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) agonist Bay K8644. At highly depolarizing potentials 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D3 potentiates volume-sensitive Cl(-) currents through mechanisms that may involve a putative membrane receptor. We show for the first time that 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D3 also increases inward currents through SA-Cat channels at positive membrane voltages in a dose-dependent manner. Contrary to our expectations, the stereoisomer 1beta,25(OH)(2)D3, which suppresses 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D3 activation of osteoblast Cl(-) currents, mimicked 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D3 agonist effects on Ca(2+) and SA-Cat channel activities. Cyclic AMP is involved in 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D3 effects on both Ca(2+) and SA-Cat channels, but not in Cl(-) channels. We conclude that 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D3 rapid effects on ion channel activities in ROS 17/2.8 cells occur through multiple mechanisms that, on the one hand, involve a possible direct interaction with the L-type Ca(2+) channel molecule and, on the other hand, molecular pathways that may include a putative membrane receptor.

The steroid hormone 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3)] produces biological responses by interaction with both a well-characterized nuclear receptor (VDR(nuc)) to regulate gene transcription and with an as-yet uncharacterized membrane-associated protein/receptor (VDR(mem)) to generate a variety of rapid, non-genotropic responses. We report for the first time that [3H]1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) binds with high affinity to a chick duodenal caveolae-enriched membrane fraction (CMF) isolated without the use of detergents. Caveolae are plasma membrane invaginations implicated in signal transduction and molecular transport processes. Using the CMF fraction as a possible source of VDR(mem), we found that the in vitro binding of [3H]1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3) was ligand dependent and saturable; the K(D) and B(max) were 1.3+/-0.6nM and 29+/-11fmol 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)/mg protein (n=17), respectively. Immunoblot analysis of the CMF confirms the presence of caveolin-1, a marker protein for membranes with caveolae. Therefore, chick CMF may represent a good source for isolation and characterization of the putative VDR(mem) for 1alpha,25(OH)(2)D(3).

We recently demonstrated that suppressing 1alpha,25-(OH)2-D3 by increasing dietary calcium decreases adipocyte intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i), stimulates lipolysis, and inhibits lipogenesis. High calcium diets also increase core temperature and white adipose tissue uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) expression in aP2-agouti transgenic mice. Accordingly, we have evaluated the role of 1alpha,25-(OH)2-D3 in regulating human adipocyte UCP2 expression. Treatment of human adipocytes for 48 h with 1 nM 1alpha,25-(OH)2-D3 inhibited UCP2 mRNA and protein levels by 50% (P

The steroid hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 [1α, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 ] promotes vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) growth and calcification, but the precise mechanism by which 1α, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 regulates VSMC migration is unknown. In rat aortic SMCs, we found that 1α, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 (0.1 to 100 nmol/L) induced a dose-dependent increase in VSMC migration. This response required the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3 kinase) because 1α, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 -induced migration was completely abolished by the PI3 kinase inhibitors, LY294002 (10 μmol/L) or wortmannin (30 nmol/L). Furthermore, the RNA polymerase inhibitor, 5,6-dichlorobenzimidazole riboside (50 μmol/L), did not affect 1α, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 -induced VSMC migration, suggesting that gene transcription is not involved in this rapid response. Using analogs of 1α, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 , which have been characterized for their abilities to induce either transcriptional or nontranscriptional responses of 1α, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 , we found that 1α,25-dihydroxylumisterol, which is a potent agonist of the rapid, nongenomic responses, was equipotent with 1α, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 in inducing PI3 kinase activity and VSMC migration. Moreover, 1β, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 , which specifically antagonizes the nongenomic actions of 1α, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 , abolished 1α, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 -induced PI3 kinase activity and VSMC migration, whereas the inhibitor of the genomic actions of vitamin D, (23S)-25-dehydro-1α-OH-D 3 -26,23-lactone, did not affect these responses. These results indicate that 1α, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 induces VSMC migration independent of gene transcription via PI3 kinase pathway, and suggest a possible mechanism by which 1α, 25-(OH) 2 D 3 may contribute to neointima formation in atherosclerosis and vascular remodeling.