Open Access

Vitamin D/VDR signaling pathway ameliorates 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis by inhibiting intestinal epithelial apoptosis

  • Authors:
    • Tong Zhu
    • Tian-Jing Liu
    • Yong-Yan Shi
    • Qun Zhao
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: March 20, 2015     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2015.2150
  • Pages: 1213-1218
  • Copyright: © Zhu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY_NC 3.0].

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Abstract

Increasing epidemiological data have suggested a link between vitamin D deficiency and the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In the present study, we confirmed that vitamin D deficiency, as well as the decreased local expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR), was prevalent in an IBD cohort. The excessive apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) partly accounts for the development of colonic inflammation and eventually results in IBD. Based on the established inhibitory effects of the vitamin D/VDR pathway on IEC apoptosis, we treated mice with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis with paricalcitol, a vitamin D analog, in order to investigate the mechanisms responsible for the inhibitory effects of the vitamin D/VDR pathway. We observed that following treatment with vitamin D, the mice presented with only minor bodyweight loss, and the mice also showed improved histological scores and decreased intestinal epithelial permeability compared with the vehicle-treated group. The colonic mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines was markedly suppressed, indicating less severe colitis in the vitamin D-treated mice. Subsequently, we investigated p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) and p53, two major independent pathways of apoptosis, as well as caspase-3. We found that the vitamin D-treated mice had lower expression levels of caspase-3 than the vehicle-treated mice. PUMA expression showed the same tendency; however, the p53 protein level was not altered. The present study indicates that vitamin D attenuates the development of TNBS-induced colitis by inhibiting the apoptosis of IECs. The mechanisms involved include the downregulation of PUMA expression. Our data provide experimental support for the clinical trials of vitamin D intervention in patients with IBD.
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May-2015
Volume 35 Issue 5

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

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Spandidos Publications style
Zhu T, Liu T, Shi Y and Zhao Q: Vitamin D/VDR signaling pathway ameliorates 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis by inhibiting intestinal epithelial apoptosis. Int J Mol Med 35: 1213-1218, 2015.
APA
Zhu, T., Liu, T., Shi, Y., & Zhao, Q. (2015). Vitamin D/VDR signaling pathway ameliorates 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis by inhibiting intestinal epithelial apoptosis. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 35, 1213-1218. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2015.2150
MLA
Zhu, T., Liu, T., Shi, Y., Zhao, Q."Vitamin D/VDR signaling pathway ameliorates 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis by inhibiting intestinal epithelial apoptosis". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 35.5 (2015): 1213-1218.
Chicago
Zhu, T., Liu, T., Shi, Y., Zhao, Q."Vitamin D/VDR signaling pathway ameliorates 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis by inhibiting intestinal epithelial apoptosis". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 35, no. 5 (2015): 1213-1218. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2015.2150