Endocrine Abstracts

It is now recognized that vitamin D influences the innate immune system and recent studies have highlighted the importance of local synthesis of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D) for these responses. Production of 1,25D from 25-hydroxvitamin D (25D) is catalyzed by 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1; 1α-OHase). Vitamin D is metabolized by 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1; 24-OHase). A key part of the innate immune response is pathogen recognition by the toll-like recep...

We have recently demonstrated expression of a functional calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HAoSMC) and human arteries and demonstrated a correlation between CaSR expression and medial calcification (a major cause of cardiovascular mortality in chronic kidney disease). Apoptosis of vascular SMC occurs early in the development of calcification and apoptotic bodies accumulate calcium. Here, we have examined CaSR-mediated signalling pathways in H...

Accelerated medial calcification is a major cause of premature cardiovascular mortality in people with chronic kidney disease. Evidence suggests that the concentration of extracellular Ca2+ and vascular smooth muscle cells play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of vascular calcification. Extracellular Ca2+ is detected by the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR). The CaSR is a G protein-coupled receptor that is expressed in a range of tissues, but characteriza...