Bioactive forms of vitamin D selectively stimulate the skin analog of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in human epidermal keratinocytes
Authors
Wierzbicka Justyna M., Żmijewski Michał A., Piotrowska Anna, Nedoszytko Boguslaw, Lange Magdalena, Tuckey Robert C. , Slominski Andrzej T
Institution
Medical University of Gdańsk
Country
Poland
Year
2016
Journal
Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
Abstract
Ultraviolet radiation B stimulates both the production of vitamin D3 in the skin
and the activation of the skin analog of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) as
well as the central HPA. Since the role of vitamin D3 in the regulation of the HPA is
largely unknown, we investigated the impact of 1,25(OH)2D3 and its noncalcemic
analogs, 20(OH)D3 and 21(OH)pD, on the expression of the local HPA in human
epidermal keratinocytes. The noncalcemic analogues showed similar efficacy to
1,25(OH)2D3 in stimulating the expression of neuropeptides, CRF, urocortins and POMC,
and their receptors, CRFR1, CRFR2, MC1R, MC2R, MC3R and MC4R. Interestingly, unlike
other secosteroids, the activity of 21(OH)pD did not correlate with induction of
differentiation, suggesting a separate but overlapping mechanism of action. Thus,
biologically active forms of vitamin D can regulate different elements of the local
equivalent of the HPA with implications for the systemic HPA.