Reduction of vitamin D hormone receptor mRNA levels in Alzheimer as compared to Huntington hippocampus: correlation with calbindin-28k mRNA levels

Vitamin D and neurocognitive dysfunction: Preventing “D”ecline?

“…Treatment with 1, 25(OH) 2 D 3 attenuated hippocampal atrophy and protected neuron density (a marker for neuronal health) in aging rats (Landfield and Cadwallader-Neal 1998). Data in human subjects with Alzheimer's disease revealed a reduction in VDR mRNA in specific regions of the hippocampus (CA1 and CA2) compared to controls (Sutherland, Somerville et al 1992) and a higher frequency of VDR polymorphisms were found in Alzheimer's brains than in age-matched controls (Gezen-Ak, Dursun et al 2007). …”

“…An early study of patients with Alzheimer's disease revealed the presence of VDR mRNA in humans (Sutherland, Somerville et al 1992), yet the presence and accessibility of 1, 25(OH) 2 D 3 , necessary for activation of the nuclear pathway, remained unclear. Previously, brain concentrations of 1, 25(OH) 2 D 3 were thought to be dependent on plasma concentrations (Taylor 1977;Gascon-Barre and Huet 1983), until biosynthetic and degradative pathways for the hormone were found in neuronal and glial cells (Clemens, Garrett et al; Neveu, Naveilhan et al; Neveu, Naveilhan et al), cerebral perkinje cells, and cells in the cerebral cortex (Zehnder, Bland et al 2001).…”

“…Vitamin D may help to protect against cognitive deterioration and dementia, specifically, vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease, through vasculoprotection (Lind, Wengle et al 1987;Burgess, Hawkins et al 1990;O'Connell, Berry et al 1997;Pfeifer, Begerow et al 2001;Wang, Wu et al 2001;Zittermann, Schleithoff et al 2003;, preservation of neurons (Sutherland, Somerville et al 1992;Landfield and Cadwallader-Neal 1998;Brewer, Thibault et al 2001), and protection against risk factors for cognitive dysfunction (Lind, Wengle et al 1987;Burgess, Hawkins et al 1990;Hypponen, Laara et al 2001;Pfeifer, Begerow et al 2001;Li, Kong et al 2002;Zittermann, Schleithoff et al 2003;Bischoff-Ferrari, Dietrich et al 2004;Li, Qiao et al 2004;.…”

Dysregulation of neural calcium signaling in Alzheimer disease, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia

“…[82][83][84] Neuronal levels of CB are known to be reduced in AD. 85 In addition to enhancing these mechanisms for lowering the level of Ca 2+ , vitamin D can curb the influx of external Ca 2+ by reducing the expression of L-type voltage-sensitive channels, which are markedly elevated in rat hippocampal neurons. 86 In summary, any reduction in vitamin D levels will result in elevated neuronal Ca 2+ levels and this could account for a number of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD and PD.…”

Differentially expressed genes in C6.9 glioma cells during vitamin D-induced cell death program

“…A growing body of evidence indicates that 1,25-D3 is also active in the central nervous system (CNS). Binding sites of 1,25-D3 were detected in certain neurons and non-neuronal cells O'Brien 1987, Stumpf et al, 1992;Musiol et al, 1992), while the mRNA of its receptor, VDR, was identified in the human hippocampus (Sutherland et al, 1992) and in vitro, in rat primary astrocytes (Neveu et al, 1994a). Astrocytes constitute a target for the hormone.…”