title: The impact of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on the expression of connective tissue growth factor and transforming growth factor-β1 in the myocardium of rats with diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define whether 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2 D3) can protect against myocardial fibrosis and to investigate its impact on the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the myocardium of rats with diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal (control), 1,25-(OH)2 D3 therapy, and diabetes groups. In the diabetes and 1,25-(OH)2 D3 therapy groups, type 2 diabetes models were established using a high-fat, high-sugar diet and streptozotocin. Rats in the 1,25-(OH)2 D3 therapy group were also treated with 1,25-(OH)2 D3. After 6 weeks, the body weight, cardiac weight, cardiac weight index, plasma glucose, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) were measured; morphological changes in the myocardium were observed using microscopy following hematoxylin-eosin and Masson staining. CTGF and TGF-β1 expressions in the myocardium were detected using immunohistochemistry staining and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The body and cardiac weights of the rats in the diabetes and 1,25-(OH)2 D3 group were lower, but the cardiac weight index, plasma glucose, LDH and CK were higher compared with the control group (P<0.05). The body weight and plasma glucose, LDH and CK were decreased in 1,25-(OH)2 D3 group compared with the diabetes group (P<0.05). Pathological changes in the 1,25-(OH)2 D3 group were milder than the diabetes group. CTGF and TGF-β1 expression in the diabetes and 1,25-(OH)2 D3 groups were increased significantly, but in the 1,25-(OH)2 D3 group were significantly lower than diabetes group at the mRNA level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1,25-(OH)2 D3 had a partially protective effect on myocardial fibrosis of diabetic rats, which might inhibit CTGF and TGF-β1 expression in the myocardial tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China. Electronic address: 1506468624@qq.com.
authors.forename: Lingling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Key Laboratory of Endocrinology of Ministry of Health, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address: t75y@sina.com.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China. Electronic address: genemagic@126.com.
authors.forename: Guoli
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China. Electronic address: zhaoqy1980@163.com.
authors.forename: Qiying
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China. Electronic address: 308950323@qq.com.
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China. Electronic address: zhujun6677@163.com.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014815:Vitamins; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor; D012313:RNA; D002117:Calcitriol
keywords: 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3; Connective tissue growth factor; Diabetes mellitus; Myocardial fibrosis; Transforming growth factor-β(1)