1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D-3 enhances glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in mouse and human islets: a role for transcriptional regulation of voltage gated calcium channels by the vitamin D receptor

摘要

Aim: Vitamin D deficiency in rodents negatively affects glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and human epidemiological studies connect poor vitamin D status with type 2 diabetes. Previous studies performed primarily in rat islets have shown that vitamin D can enhance GSIS. However the molecular pathways linking vitamin D and insulin secretion are currently unknown. Therefore, experiments were undertaken to elucidate the transcriptional role(s) of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in islet function.