title: Role of vitamin D in female reproduction.
abstract: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that belongs to the family of steroid hormones. The biological actions of vitamin D are exerted through a soluble protein, the vitamin D receptor (VDR). VDR is a transcription factor located in the nuclei of target cells that mediates the genomic action of the active form of vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D3). This transcription factor is distributed in various tissues, including the reproductive system. The presence of VDR in female reproductive tissue suggests that vitamin D is involved in female reproduction. The present article reviews the impact of vitamin D on anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), as an ovarian reserve marker, and ovarian steroidogenesis. This article also discusses the impact of vitamin D as a factor that influences infertility and the outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF), insulin resistance (IR), hyperandrogenism, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyedeh Zahra
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Shahrokhi
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Firouzeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ghaffari
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: f_kazerouni@sbmu.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Faranak
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kazerouni
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: AMH; Female reproduction; Ovarian marker; Vitamin D