Vitamin D and Endometrium: A Systematic Review of a Neglected Area of Research

Greta Chiara Cermisoni, Alessandra Alteri, Laura Corti, Elisa Rabellotti, Enrico Papaleo, Paola Viganò, Ana M. Sánchez, Ana Maria Sanchez
International journal of molecular sciences · 2018 · vol. 19(8) , pp. 2320 · doi:10.3390/ijms19082320 · PMID:30096760 · PMC6122064 · W2885532420
review OA: gold CC0 ⤵ 15 in-corpus citations
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This review synthesizes current knowledge on vitamin D's role in the endometrium, examining its expression, metabolism, and effects on inflammation and proliferation, particularly in endometrial pathologies like endometriosis and cancer.

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Abstract

Growing evidence supports a role of vitamin D (VD) in reproductive health. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is expressed in the ovary, endometrium, and myometrium. The biological actions of VD in fertility and reproductive tissues have been investigated but mainly using animal models. Conversely, the molecular data addressing the mechanisms underlying VD action in the physiologic endometrium and in endometrial pathologies are still scant. Levels of VDR expression according to the menstrual cycle are yet to be definitively clarified, possibly being lower in the proliferative compared to the secretory phase and in mid-secretory compared to early secretory phase. Endometrial tissue also expresses the enzymes involved in the metabolism of VD. The potential anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of VD for the treatment of endometriosis have been investigated in recent years. Treatment of ectopic endometrial cells with 1,25(OH)₂D₃ could significantly reduce cytokine-mediated inflammatory responses. An alteration of VD metabolism in terms of increased 24-hydroxylase mRNA and protein expression has been demonstrated in endometrial cancer, albeit not consistently. The effect of the active form of the vitamin as an anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and differentiation-inducing agent has been demonstrated in various endometrial cancer cell lines.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometrium Receptors, Calcitriol Vitamin D Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Female Fertility Fertility Humans Menstrual Cycle Menstrual Cycle Myometrium Myometrium Receptors, Calcitriol Signal Transduction Signal Transduction Vitamin D Vitamin D

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