Vitamin D deficiency may stimulate fibroblasts in Dupuytren ’s disease via mitochondrial increased reactive oxygen species through upregulating transforming growth factor-β1

Dupuytren ’s disease, a benign fibroproliferative disorder of the palmar fascia, represents an ideal model to study tissue fibrosis. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and its downstream Smad signaling system is well established as a keyplayer during fibrogenesis. Vitamin D has been extensively studie d as an anti-fibrotic agent in malignant chronic diseases. A number of studies have shown that myofibroblasts are main target cells of 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibitory action. The myofibroblast in the palmar aponeurosis of patients in different stages of Dupuytren’s disease was found by electron microscopy to contain a large number of mitochondria.
Source: Medical Hypotheses - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Source Type: research