title: Effects of 1, 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 on Experimental Autoimmune Myocarditis in Mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Myocarditis is an important inflammatory disease of the heart which causes life-threatening conditions. 1, 25(OH)2 D3 has effects on multiple systems and diseases. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of 1, 25(OH)2 D3 on experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM), and explored the underlying mechanisms involved.
  
  
  METHODS
  EAM was induced by immunizing BALB/c mice with cardiac α-myosin heavy chain peptides (MyHC-α). 1, 25(OH)2 D3 (1,000 ng/kg once) or vehicle was administered intraperitoneally every other day during the entire experiment. On day 21, transthoracic echocardiography was performed and cardiac inflammatory infiltration was detected by hematoxylin and eosin (HE). The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and Western blots for the expression of protein caspase-3 and cleaved-caspase3 were used to evaluate apoptosis. Transmission electron microscopy and Western blots for the expression of protein Beclin-1, LC3B, and P62 were used to evaluate autophagy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ratio of heart weight/body weight was significantly reduced in 1, 25(OH)2 D3 -treated EAM mice, compared with vehicle -treated ones. 1, 25(OH)2 D3 treatment improved cardiac function, diminished cell infiltration in cardiac, suppressed myocardial apoptosis, decreased the number of autophagosomes, and decreased the protein expression of Beclin-1, LC3-II and p62.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results demonstrated that administration of 1, 25(OH)2 D3 decreased EAM severity. 1, 25(OH)2 D3 treatment may be a feasible therapeutic approach for EAM.
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Lianhua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Wenhan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yuzhen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Xiaofei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhijian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; C118756:dihydroxy-vitamin D3; D014807:Vitamin D