Differential gene regulation by a synthetic vitamin D receptor ligand and active vitamin D in human cells.

Vitamin D (VD) exerts a wide variety of biological functions including calcemic activity. VD nutritional status is closely associated with the onset and development of chronic diseases. To develop a VD analog with the desired VD activity but without calcemic activity, we screened synthetic VDR antagonists.

Advances in the Administration of Vitamin D Analogues to Support Bone Health and Treat Chronic Diseases.

Vitamin D (VD) exerts a wide variety of biological actions in addition to its well-known roles in calcium homeostasis. Nutritional VD deficiency induces rachitic abnormalities in growing children and osteomalacia in adults, and it has been proposed to underlie the onset and development of multiple non-communicable chronic diseases. Therefore, the administration of VD or synthetic VD analogues represents a promising therapeutic strategy; indeed, VD and a VD agonist have shown clinical promise in mitigating osteoporosis and symptoms of insufficient calcium intake.

Synthesis of Deuterium-Labeled Vitamin D Metabolites as Internal Standards for LC-MS Analysis.

Blood levels of the vitamin D (D) metabolites 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)D) are recognized indicators for the diagnosis of bone metabolism-related diseases, D deficiency-related diseases, and hypercalcemia, and are generally measured by liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) using an isotope dilution method. However, other D metabolites, such as 20-hydroxyvitamin D and lactone D, also show interesting biological activities and stable isotope-labeled derivatives are required for LC-MS/MS analysis of their concentrations in serum. Here, we describe a versatile synthesis of deuterium-labeled D metabolites using A-ring synthons containing three deuterium atoms.

Chemical Synthesis of Side-Chain-Hydroxylated Vitamin D Derivatives and Their Metabolism by CYP27B1.

1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D (abbreviated here as 1,25D ) is a hormonally active form of vitamin D (D ), and is produced from D by CYP27 A1-mediated hydroxylation at C25, followed by CYP27B1-mediated hydroxylation at C1. Further hydroxylation of 25D and 1,25D occurs at C23, C24 and C26 to generate corresponding metabolites, except for 1,25R,26D . Since the capability of CYP27B1 to hydroxylate C1 of side-chain-hydroxylated metabolites other than 23S,25D and 24R,25D has not been examined, we have here explored the role of CYP27B1 in the C1 hydroxylation of a series of side-chain-hydroxylated D derivatives.

[The actual activity of the Fukuoka Medical Network for the Seriously Intractable Neurological Diseases].

The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Health Care Network for Seriously Intractable Neurological Diseases was initiated in 1998 to improve the care of patients for seriously intractable neurological diseases. The network, now, consists of 15 basic cooperative hospitals, and 105 general cooperative hospitals. Two medical care coordinators manage the transfer of network patients based on information of the patient's condition and the capacity of cooperative hospitals using information about the number of available beds in cooperative hospitals.

A network system of medical and welfare information service for the patients, their families, hospitals, local governments, and commercial companies in a medical service area.

A service information system using the Internet, which connected the various people who are related to medical treatment and nursing welfare, was constructed. An intractable neurological disease patient who lives in the Onga district, Fukuoka, Japan, and the people who are related to the service were chosen as test users in an experimental model. The communicated service information was divided into open-use data (electronic bulletin board, welfare service, medical care service, and link to private company service home page) and closed-use data (the individual patient's hysterics).