2008 JASN IMPACT FACTOR 7.505	HOME   AUTHOR INFO   EDITORIAL BOARD   SUBSCRIBE   FEEDBACK   ALERTS   HELP
advanced	CURRENT ISSUE	ARCHIVES	JASN Express	ONLINE SUBMISSION

This Article Full Text (Rapid PDF) All Versions of this Article: ASN.2007080902v1 19/8/1509    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mathew, S. Articles by Hruska, K. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mathew, S. Articles by Hruska, K. A. Related Collections Related Article

Received August 15, 2007
Accepted on March 24, 2008

BASIC RESEARCH

Vitamin D Receptor Activators Can Protect against Vascular Calcification

Suresh Mathew ^*, Richard J. Lund , Lala R. Chaudhary ^*, Theresa Geurs ^*, and Keith A. Hruska ^*1

Renal Division, Departments of *Pediatrics and Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; and Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska

¹ To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hruska_k{at}wustl.edu.

	Abstract

An apparent conflict exists between observational studies that suggest that vitamin D receptor (VDR) activators provide a survival advantage for patients with ESRD and other studies that suggest that they cause vascular calcification. In an effort to explain this discrepancy, we studied the effects of the VDR activators calcitriol and paricalcitol on aortic calcification in a mouse model of chronic kidney disease (CKD)-stimulated atherosclerotic cardiovascular mineralization. At dosages sufficient to correct secondary hyperparathyroidism, calcitriol and paricalcitol were protective against aortic calcification, but higher dosages stimulated aortic calcification. At protective dosages, the VDR activators reduced osteoblastic gene expression in the aorta, which is normally increased in CKD, perhaps explaining this inhibition of aortic calcification. Interpreting the results obtained using this model, however, is complicated by the adynamic bone disorder; both calcitriol and paricalcitol stimulated osteoblast surfaces and rates of bone formation. Therefore, the skeletal actions of the VDR activators may have contributed to their protection against aortic calcification. We conclude that low, clinically relevant dosages of calcitriol and paricalcitol may protect against CKD-stimulated vascular calcification.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Thadhani Is Calcitriol Life-Protective for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease? J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., November 1, 2009; 20(11): 2285 - 2290. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. N. Artaza, R. Mehrotra, and K. C. Norris Vitamin D and the Cardiovascular System Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., September 1, 2009; 4(9): 1515 - 1522. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. H. de Boer, B. Kestenbaum, A. B. Shoben, E. D. Michos, M. J. Sarnak, and D. S. Siscovick 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels Inversely Associate with Risk for Developing Coronary Artery Calcification J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., August 1, 2009; 20(8): 1805 - 1812. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. L. Melamed and R. Thadhani Low Calcidiol Levels and Coronary Artery Calcification: True, True, and Related? J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., August 1, 2009; 20(8): 1663 - 1665. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. V. Barreto, F. C. Barreto, S. Liabeuf, M. Temmar, F. Boitte, G. Choukroun, A. Fournier, and Z. A. Massy Vitamin D Affects Survival Independently of Vascular Calcification in Chronic Kidney Disease Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., June 1, 2009; 4(6): 1128 - 1135. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. C. Palmer, J. C. Craig, and G. F. M. Strippoli Taking aim at targets Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., May 1, 2009; 24(5): 1358 - 1361. [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. B. Drueke and E. Ritz Treatment of Secondary Hyperparathyroidism in CKD Patients with Cinacalcet and/or Vitamin D Derivatives Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., January 1, 2009; 4(1): 234 - 241. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Copyright © 2009 by the American Society of Nephrology. Online ISSN: 1533-3450 Print ISSN: 1046-6673