title: Doxercalciferol, a pro-hormone of vitamin D, prevents the development of cardiac hypertrophy in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Activated vitamin D analog, paricalcitol, has been shown to attenuate the development of cardiac hypertrophy in Dahl salt sensitive (DSS) rats. To determine whether an antihypertrophic effect is class specific, we tested if doxercalciferol (a pro-hormone vitamin D2 analog) could also attenuate the development of cardiac hypertrophy in DSS rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Male DSS rats were fed a high salt (HS) diet for 6 weeks beginning at 6 weeks of age. Doxercalciferol was administered intraperitoneally at 150 ng, 3 times per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) for 6 weeks. Pathological and echocardiographic findings demonstrated that rats on HS diet with doxercalciferol administration had significant decrease in cardiac hypertrophy and improved cardiac function compared to the HS + vehicle. In addition, there was a significant decrease in plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level and tissue atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) mRNA level with doxercalciferol treatment. Doxercalciferol also significantly reduced the level of protein kinase C-α (PKCα) suggesting that PKC-mediated cardiac hypertrophy may be associated with vitamin D deficiency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of doxercalciferol attenuated the development of HS diet induced cardiac hypertrophy and cardiac dysfunction in DSS rats.
authors: Cardiovascular Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Med Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors: Jun H
authors: JH
authors: Choi
authors: Qingen
authors: Q
authors: Ke
authors: Soochan
authors: S
authors: Bae
authors: Ji Yoo
authors: JY
authors: Lee
authors: Yu Jin
authors: YJ
authors: Kim
authors: Ui Kyoung
authors: UK
authors: Kim
authors: Cynthia
authors: C
authors: Arbeeny
authors: Ravi
authors: R
authors: Thadhani
authors: Peter M
authors: PM
authors: Kang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004872:Ergocalciferols / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051381:Rats; D020303:Rats, Inbred Dahl; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D004872:Ergocalciferols; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014815:Vitamins; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; C042533:1 alpha-hydroxyergocalciferol; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor