Browsing by Author "Baccino, Francesco Maria"

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    Vitamin D and VDR in cancer cachexia and muscle regeneration
    (Impact Journals, 2017-03-28) Camperi, Andrea; Pin, Fabrizio; Costamagna, Domiziana; Penna, Fabio; Lopez Menduina, Maria; Aversa, Zaira; Zimmers, Teresa A.; Verzaro, Roberto; Fittipaldi, Raffaella; Caretti, Giuseppina; Baccino, Francesco Maria; Muscaritoli, Maurizio; Costelli, Paola; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Low circulating levels of vitamin D were associated with decreased muscle strength and physical performance. Along this line, the present study was aimed to investigate: i) the therapeutic potential of vitamin D in cancer-induced muscle wasting; ii) the mechanisms by which vitamin D affects muscle phenotype in tumor-bearing animals.Rats bearing the AH130 hepatoma showed decreased circulating vitamin D compared to control rats, while muscle vitamin D receptor (VDR) mRNA was up-regulated. Both circulating vitamin D and muscle VDR expression increased after vitamin D administration, without exerting appreciable effects on body weight and muscle mass.The effects of vitamin D on muscle cells were studied in C2C12 myocytes. Vitamin D-treated myoblasts did not differentiate properly, fusing only partially and forming multinucleated structures with aberrant shape and low myosin heavy chain content. Vitamin D treatment resulted in VDR overexpression and myogenin down-regulation. Silencing VDR expression in C2C12 cultures abrogated the inhibition of differentiation exerted by vitamin D treatment.These data suggest that VDR overexpression in tumor-bearing animals contributes to muscle wasting by impairing muscle regenerative program. In this regard, attention should be paid when considering vitamin D supplementation to patients affected by chronic pathologies where muscle regeneration may be involved.