Vitamin D as a modulator of molecular pathways involved in CVDs: Evidence from preclinical studies

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Endocrinology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) affects nearly a billion people globally.
• Growing evidence links VDD to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure.
• Vitamin D receptors and metabolizing enzymes are present in cardiac and vascular cells, indicating a direct role in cardiovascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and critically evaluate preclinical evidence on vitamin D's role in cardiovascular health.
• To understand the molecular mechanisms by which vitamin D influences cardiovascular function.
• To assess the potential of vitamin D as a preventive or therapeutic strategy for CVDs.

Main Methods:

• Review of diverse preclinical studies, including in vitro (cardiomyocyte cell lines) and in vivo models (knockout mice, diet-induced deficiency, disease-specific animal models).
• Analysis of studies investigating vitamin D's effects on signal transduction pathways (e.g., NF-kB, Nrf2, PI3K/AKT/mTOR) and epigenetic mechanisms.
• Evaluation of vitamin D supplementation effects in various cardiovascular disease models.

Main Results:

• Vitamin D modulates vascular tone, prevents cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy via multiple signaling pathways.
• In vitro studies show vitamin D promotes cardiomyocyte differentiation and inhibits pathological remodeling.
• In vivo studies demonstrate VDD has detrimental cardiac effects, while vitamin D supplementation protects against inflammation, hypertrophy, plaque formation, and improves cardiac function in CVD models.

Conclusions:

• Preclinical evidence strongly supports a critical role for vitamin D in maintaining cardiovascular health.
• Vitamin D demonstrates significant protective effects against various cardiovascular pathologies in experimental models.
• Further research is necessary to reconcile preclinical findings with clinical outcomes and establish vitamin D's therapeutic application in CVDs.