Increased anxiety in mice lacking vitamin D receptor gene.
Vitamin D is a steroid hormone with many important functions in the brain, mediated through the vitamin D nuclear receptor. Numerous human and animal data link vitamin D dysfunctions to various behavioural disorders. To examine this problem, we studied whether genetic ablation of vitamin D receptors in mice may be associated with altered emotional behaviours. Here we show that the receptor-deficient mice demonstrate increased anxiety-like behaviours when subjected to a battery of behavioural tests. These studies suggest that vitamin D and its receptors are an important factor in the brain, whose imbalance may significantly affect emotional behaviour.
Kalueff
Allan V
AV
Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Tampere, FIN-33014 Tampere, Finland. avkalueff@inbox.ru
Lou
Yan-Ru
YR
Laaksi
Ilkka
I
Tuohimaa
Pentti
P
D000818:Animals; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D006120:Grooming / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000235:genetics; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism*
D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D