Thalamic calcification in vitamin D receptor knockout mice.
Vitamin D is a steroid hormone with many important functions in the brain, mediated through the nuclear vitamin D receptor. Here, we report that aging nuclear vitamin D receptor knockout mice demonstrate a symmetric thalamic calcification with numerous Ca/P-containing laminated bodies. These results are consistent with clinical findings showing brain calcification in patients with vitamin D deficiency. Our results suggest that nuclear vitamin D receptor deficiency leads to brain mineralization in vitamin D receptor knockout mice, which may represent an experimental model of intracranial calcification.
Kalueff
Allan
A
Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Tampere, Finland. avkalueff@inbox.ru
Loseva
Elena
E
Haapasalo
Hannu
H
Rantala
Immo
I
Keranen
Jaakko
J
Lou
Yan-Ru
YR
Minasyan
Anna
A
Keisala
Tiina
T
Miettinen
Susanna
S
Kuuslahti
Marianne
M
Tuchimaa
Pentii
P
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002114:Calcinosis; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000172:deficiency*; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000379:methods; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000235:genetics
D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D010758:Phosphorus; D002118:Calcium