TLDR Vitamin D receptor is essential for healthy bones and skin.
The study explored the role of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in skeletal growth and skin health using VDR knockout mice. It was found that VDR is crucial for normal skeletal development, as VDR null mice exhibited hypocalcemia, hyperparathyroidism, hypophosphatemia, rickets, and osteomalacia. These conditions were preventable with a high-calcium, high-phosphorus, lactose-supplemented diet, which normalized mineral ion homeostasis and prevented bone abnormalities. The study also revealed that the growth plate abnormalities were due to impaired apoptosis of hypertrophic chondrocytes caused by hypophosphatemia. Additionally, the research identified novel ligand-independent actions of VDR in keratinocytes, explaining the alopecia observed in VDR null mice. The skeletal effects were indirect, resulting from the absence of ligand-dependent receptor actions in the intestine, while the skin effects were a direct result of missing ligand-independent VDR actions in the skin.
215 citations,
September 2003 in “Journal of Biological Chemistry” Vitamin D receptor and hairless protein are essential for hair growth.
277 citations,
July 2002 in “Molecular Endocrinology” Removing part of the vitamin D receptor stops vitamin D from working properly.
519 citations,
October 1998 in “Endocrinology” Diet can prevent bone issues but not hair loss in mice lacking vitamin D receptors.
1308 citations,
March 1998 in “Journal of bone and mineral research” The vitamin D receptor is crucial for bone health and affects various body systems, with mutations potentially leading to disease.
18 citations,
July 2010 in “Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology/The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology” The vitamin D receptor helps regulate skin and hair health independently of its usual vitamin D ligand.
107 citations,
March 2014 in “BoneKEy Reports” Mutations in the vitamin D receptor cause hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets, leading to poor bone health and requiring high calcium doses for treatment.
151 citations,
June 2010 in “Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America” Two rare genetic diseases cause severe rickets in children due to defects in vitamin D metabolism.
1533 citations,
October 2008 in “Endocrine reviews” Mice without the vitamin D receptor have bone issues and other health problems, suggesting vitamin D is important for preventing various diseases in humans.
25 citations,
August 2014 in “Endocrinology” Researchers created a mouse model of a type of rickets that does not cause hair loss.
