Physiological functions of vitamin D: what we have learned from global and conditional VDR knockout mouse studies.
The physiological role of vitamin D depends on calcium supply and calcium balance. When the calcium balance is normal, the major target of vitamin D is intestine. Vitamin D stimulates mainly active intestinal calcium transport mechanism. During a negative calcium balance, bone effects of vitamin D become dominant. Thus, the role of vitamin D in maintaining normocalcemia appears to have priority over skeletal integrity in these situations.
Research Center for Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan. Electronic address: tasuda@saitama-med.ac.jp.
Tatsuo
T
Suda
Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
Ritsuko
R
Masuyama
Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Roger
R
Bouillon
Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Geert
G
Carmeliet
D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000502:physiology*
D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium