title: Can vitamin d suppress endothelial cells apoptosis in multiple sclerosis patients?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of central nerves system, in which neurological disabilities occur in young adults. Despite increasing number of studies on MS, some aspects of this disorder are still unclear. In the previous studies, it has been proven that there is direct relation between MS incidence and vitamin D deficiency. Thereby, strong evidence in MS pathogenesis suggests that endothelial cells (EC) could be harmed in MS. In addition, functional changes in EC and macrovascular injuries lead blood-brain barrier disruption in MS. Current study is the first investigation to elucidate positive influences of vitamin D against EC apoptosis in MS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured and then treated with sera from patients with active MS (in relapse) and sera from healthy volunteer participants as control group (each group n=15). 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5- (3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt (MTS) assay for cell surveillance and cell-death detection kit for evaluating apoptosis were used in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant decrease in apoptosis rate by the serum of patients, just when 1,25(OH)2D3 applied before treating HUVECs with sera from active MS (in relapse). Furthermore, the cells surveillance increased markedly with the presence of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) in culture, too.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Withregard to increment in EC apoptosis rate, which treated by the sera from MS patients and decrement in apoptosis rate by the presence of vitamin D in culture media, it could be proposed that vitamin D pre-treatment can be used for MS patients, due to its beneficial effects on protecting EC apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dehghani
authors.forename: Rokhsareh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meamar
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Etemadifar
authors.forename: Zahra Dehghani
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Sheshde
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shaygannejad
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharifkhah
authors.forename: Soheil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tahani
keywords: Apoptosis; Endothelial Cells; Multiple Sclerosis; Vitamin D