The main pathogenic feature of preeclampsia is maternal endothelial dysfunction that results from impaired angiogenesis and reduced endothelial repair capacity. In addition, preeclampsia risk is associated with vitamin D deficiency. We hypothesized that vitamin D3 stimulates proangiogenic properties of endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs). ECFCs were obtained and cultured from cord blood and characterized by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. Proliferation, total length of tubule formation on Matrigel, expression of VEGF mRNA, and pro-matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 activity were assessed after treatment of ECFCs with vitamin D 3. Specificity of the observed effects was tested by blocking the vitamin D receptor (VDR) or the VEGF signaling pathway. ECFCs treated with 10 nM vitamin D3 showed a 1.27 times higher tubule formation compared with vehicle-treated controls (1.27 Ϯ 0.19) as well as a 1.36 times higher proliferation rate (1.36 Ϯ 0.06). Vitamin D3 induced pro-MMP-2 activity (1.29 Ϯ 0.17) and VEGF mRNA levels (1.74 Ϯ 0.73) in ECFCs. VDR blocking by pyridoxal-5-phosphate (0.73 Ϯ 0.19) or small interfering RNA (0.75 Ϯ 0.17) and VEGF inhibition by Su5416 (0.56 Ϯ 0.16) or soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (0.7 Ϯ 0.14) reduced tubule formation and pro-MMP-2 activity (pyridoxal-5-phosphate: 0.84 Ϯ 0.09; Su5416: 0.79 Ϯ 0.11; or sFlt: 0.88 Ϯ 0.13). This effect was neutralized by vitamin D3. Consequently, vitamin D3 significantly promoted angiogenesis in ECFCs in vitro possibly due to an increase in VEGF expression and pro-MMP-2 activity. Since angiogenesis is a crucial feature in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia these findings could explain the positive influence of vitamin D3 in reducing preeclampsia risk. vitamin D; preeclampsia; ECFC; angiogenesis; VEGF VITAMIN D, PRIMARILY KNOWN for its important role in calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism, influences the cardiovascular system through unclear mechanisms (33). Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, coronary heart disease, and various cardiovascular risk factors (33).Preeclampsia, a pregnancy-specific disorder that affects 3-7% of all pregnancies, is a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality (43) and is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events later in life (6). Endothelial dysfunction underlies the hypertension, proteinuria, and multiorgan damage that occur during preeclampsia. The mechanisms that contribute to the disturbed endothelial homeostasis in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia remain unclear (41,46). Compared with normal pregnancies, preeclampsia is characterized by marked changes in vitamin D and calcium metabolism (3). Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between low maternal vitamin D levels and the incidence of preeclampsia (23, 27) and suggest vitamin D deficiency to be an independent risk factor for the development of preeclampsia (7). Moreover, vitamin D supplementation studies also showed protective effects on pr...

In the past few years a growing interest in vitamin D can be observed in the lay and biomedical literature due to findings demonstrating a low vitamin D status in the population. In addition to its importance for the regulation of calcium and phosphorus homeostasis recent epidemiologic studies have observed relationships between low vitamin D levels and multiple disease states. This secosteroid hormone also regulates the expression of a large number of genes in reproductive tissues implicating a role for vitamin D in female reproduction. In this report we summarize the recent evidence that vitamin D status influences female reproductive and pregnancy outcomes. Human and animal data suggest that low vitamin D status is associated with impaired fertility, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. Evidence from observational studies shows higher rates of preeclampsia, preterm birth, bacterial vaginosis and gestational diabetes in women with low vitamin D levels. However, confirmation of experimental observations establishing an association of vitamin D deficiency with adverse reproductive outcomes by high quality observational and large-scale randomized clinical trials is still lacking. The determination of optimal 25(OH)D3 levels in the reproductive period and the amount of vitamin D supplementation required to achieve those levels for the numerous actions of vitamin D throughout a woman's life would have important public health implications.

Background The XRCC2 gene is a key mediator in the homologous recombination repair of DNA double strand breaks. We hypothesised that inherited variants in the XRCC2 gene might also affect susceptibility to, and survival from, breast cancer. Methods We genotyped 12 XRCC2 tagging SNPs in 1,131 breast cancer cases and 1,148 controls from the Sheffield Breast Cancer Study (SBCS), and examined their associations with breast cancer risk and survival by estimating odds ratios (ORs) and hazard ratios (HRs), and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Positive findings were further investigated in 860 cases and 869 controls from the Utah Breast Cancer Study (UBCS) and jointly analysed together with available published data for breast cancer risk. The survival findings were further confirmed in studies (8,074 cases) from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC). Results The most significant association with breast cancer risk in the SBCS dataset was the XRCC2 rs3218408 SNP (recessive model p=2.3×10−4, MAF=0.23). This SNP yielded an ORrec (95% CI) of 1.64 (1.25–2.16) in a two-site analysis of SBCS and UBCS, and a meta-ORrec (95% CI) of 1.33 (1.12–1.57) when all published data were included. This SNP may mark a rare risk haplotype carried by 2 in 1000 of the control population. Furthermore, the XRCC2 coding R188H SNP (rs3218536, MAF=0.08) was significantly associated with poor survival, with an increased per-allele HR (95% CI) of 1.58 (1.01–2.49) in a multivariate analysis. This effect was still evident in a pooled meta-analysis of 8,781 breast cancer patients from the BCAC [HR (95% CI) of 1.19 (1.05–1.36), p=0.01]. Conclusions Our findings suggest that XRCC2 SNPs may influence breast cancer risk and survival.

Fast electrophoretic separations in fused silica capillaries (CE) coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) are presented. CE separations of the model analytes (epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, histidine, and isoproterenol) under conditions of high electric field strengths of up to 1.25 kV cm(-1) are completed in 20 s. Coupling of CE with TOF-MS is accomplished using a coaxial sheath liquid electrospray ionization interface. The influence of parameters inherent to the interface and their effects, including suction pressure and dilution, are discussed. In addition to standard capillaries of 75 and 50 μm inner diameter (ID), separations in capillaries with IDs of 25, 15, and 5 μm have been successfully applied to this setup. The analytical performance is compared over this range of capillary dimensions, and both advantages and disadvantages are discussed.

ContextPlacenta-derived circulating factors contribute to the maternal endothelial dysfunction underlying preeclampsia. Endothelial colony forming cells (ECFC), a sub-population of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), are thought to be involved in vasculogenesis and endothelial repair. Low vitamin D concentrations are associated with an increased risk for preeclampsia.ObjectiveWe hypothesized that the function of human fetal ECFCs in culture would be suppressed by exposure to preeclampsia-related factors–preeclampsia serum or hypoxic placental conditioned medium– in a fashion reversed by vitamin D.Design, Setting, PatientsECFCs were isolated from cord blood of uncomplicated pregnancies and expanded in culture. Uncomplicated pregnancy villous placenta in explant culture were exposed to either 2% (hypoxic), 8% (normoxic) or 21% (hyperoxic) O2 for 48 h, after which the conditioned media (CM) was collected.Outcome MeasuresECFC tubule formation (Matrigel assay) and migration were examined in the presence of either maternal serum from preeclampsia cases or uncomplicated pregnancy controls, or pooled CM, in the presence or absence of 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3.Results1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 reversed the adverse effects of preeclampsia serum or CM from hypoxic placenta on ECFCs capillary-tube formation and migration. Silencing of VDR expression by VDR siRNA, VDR blockade, or VEGF pathway blockade reduced ECFC functional abilities. Effects of VDR or VEGF blockade were partially prevented by vitamin D.ConclusionVitamin D promotes the capillary-like tubule formation and migration of ECFCs in culture, minimizing the negative effects of exposure to preeclampsia-related factors. Further evaluation of the role of vitamin D in ECFC regulation and preeclampsia is warranted.