title: The parotid gland: a new target organ for vitamin D action.
abstract: Radioactively labelled cholecalciferol was administered continuously to rats which were fed a vitamin D-deficient diet. It has been possible to show that all the metabolites of the cholecalciferol which normally occur in known target tissues of vitamin D are present in the parotid gland, and the pattern resembled that obtained for the kidney, a known target tissue for vitamin D action. The accumulation of cholecalciferol metabolites in the parotid gland was shown to be functional, as a calcium-binding protein was found to be present in the gland, possessing similar properties to the renal vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000378:metabolism*; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols; D002762:Cholecalciferol