Vitamin D receptor and its protective role in diabetic nephropathy.
OBJECTIVE
To review the advances of studies on vitamin D receptor and its role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy.


METHODS
A comprehensive search of the PubMed literatures without restriction on the publication date was carried out using keywords such as vitamin D receptor and diabetic nephropathy.


METHODS
Articles related to vitamin D receptor and diabetic nephropathy were selected and carefully analyzed.


RESULTS
The ligands as well as construction and tissue distribution of vitamin D receptor were summarized. Pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy was analyzed. The mechanisms underlying the renoprotective role of vitamin D receptor including inhibition of renin-angiotensin system, anti-inflammation, anti-fibrosis and the reduction of proteinuria were reviewed. Mounting evidences from animal and clinical studies have suggested that vitamin D therapy has beneficial effects on the renal systems and the underlying renoprotective mechanisms of the vitamin D receptor-mediated signaling pathways is a hot research topic.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that vitamin D receptor has a great potential for preventing the progression of diabetic nephropathy via multiple mechanisms.
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
Xiaoling
X
Guan
Department of Cadres Health Care, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
Huajie
H
Yang
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
Wei
W
Zhang
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
Huanjun
H
Wang
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China. Email: liaolin@medmail.com.cn.
Lin
L
Liao
D000818:Animals; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000378:metabolism; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000378:metabolism*; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000502:physiology
D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol