Vitamin D - a new treatment for airway remodelling in asthma?

Clifford, Rachel L; Knox, Alan J

Abstract

Increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass plays a critical role in chronic asthmatic airway remodelling. ASM cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia are likely to contribute to increased ASM mass and a variety of mitogens induce ASM proliferation in cell culture. Recent recognition of widespread vitamin D deficiency and identification of the vitamin D receptor on many cells has implicated vitamin D as a potential therapeutic target for many disorders including cancer, infection and asthma. In this issue of British Journal of Pharmacology, Damera et al. show that calcitriol, a secosteroidal modulator of vitamin D receptors, inhibited thrombin and platelet‐derived growth factor‐induced ASM cell proliferation. They also, perhaps surprisingly, show the glucocorticoid dexamethasone to potentiate mitogen‐induced ASM proliferation. Their results begin to elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) utilized by calcitriol to inhibit cell proliferation and suggest hyperphosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein and activation of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) as critical to this process. This study identifies inhibition of ASM proliferation as a cellular effect of vitamin D and supports the hypothesis that vitamin D is a potential treatment for airway remodelling in asthma.

Citation

Clifford, R. L., & Knox, A. J. (2009). Vitamin D - a new treatment for airway remodelling in asthma?. British Journal of Pharmacology, 158(6), 1426-1428. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00429.x

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 22, 2009
• Online Publication Date: Oct 28, 2009
• Publication Date: 2009-11
• Deposit Date: Oct 16, 2019
• Journal: British Journal of Pharmacology
• Print ISSN: 0007-1188
• Electronic ISSN: 1476-5381
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 158
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 1426-1428
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00429.x
• Keywords: Pharmacology
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2847655
• Publisher URL: https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00429.x