A newly published research study has shown that vitamin D3 can help repair damage to the cardiovascular system from diseases such hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. The research team used a nanomedical sensor to investigate how treatment with 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3, commonly known as vitamin D3, impacts endothelial cells grown in culture. The results of the study were published in International Journal of Nanomedicine.
The team built nanosensors that are 1,000 times smaller than the diameter of human hair to measure vitamin D3 levels in single endothelial cells, which are a key component of a properly functioning cardiovascular system. The nanosensors were used to track vitamin D3 in HUVEC cells from Caucasian Americans and African Americans. In both groups, the study showed that vitamin D3 is a powerful stimulator of nitric oxide (NO), a key signaling molecule that regulates blood flow in the cardiovascular system. The experiments also showed that cells treated with vitamin D3 exhibited less oxidative stress.
"There are not many, if any, known systems which can be used to restore cardiovascular endothelial cells which are already damaged, and Vitamin D3 can do it," said Dr. Tadeusz Malinski, who led the study. "This is a very inexpensive solution to repair the cardiovascular system. We don't have to develop a new drug. We already have it."
The researchers identified the underlying molecular mechanics of how vitamin D3 restores function to damaged endothelium in the cardiovasculature. The study was performed on a cellular model of hypertension but the potential application areas are much broader. Dysfunctional epithelium is present in many cardiovascular diseases. In addition to hypertension, the authors believe vitamin D3 treatments can be used to treat atherosclerosis, diabetes, and can reduce the risk of heart attack.