title: Prevention of renal cell carcinoma by active vitamin D3.
abstract: We studied the serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D (Vit D)] in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the influence of 1,25(OH)2D3 (Vit D3) on gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) during carcinogenesis. The serum Vit D levels were measured by a competitive protein-binding assay using the chromatographic method. Using the [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) assay, noncytotoxic concentrations of Vit D3 and the tumor promoters N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-ethyl-N-hydroxyethylnitrosamine (EHEN) were tested against cultured human renal proximal tubular cells (HRPTCs). GJIC function was assayed by the scrape-loading dye transfer technique. Cx43 mRNA expression was also examined by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum Vit D levels in patients with RCC were lower than those in controls (p< 0.001). Patients with T3 to T4 (rapid-growth) tumors had lower levels of Vit D than did patients with T1 to T2 (slow-growth) tumors (p < 0.001). Vit D3 enhanced the GJIC function of HRPTCs (p < 0.05), whereas NDMA and EHEN suppressed it (p < 0.05). When the cells were treated with tumor promoters and Vit D3 simultaneously, the GJIC functions remained at pretreatment levels. We also demonstrated Cx43 mRNA expression in RPTECs treated with EHEN and VitD3 simultaneously. These data suggest that a decrease in the serum Vit D level is one of the risk factors for development and progression of RCC, and Vit D3 may prevent RCC by preserving GJIC during carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mastushita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Omori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009603:Nitroso Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D009603:Nitroso Compounds; C023845:N-ethyl-N-hydroxyethylnitrosamine; C008651:4-nitrosodimethylaniline; D002762:Cholecalciferol; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine