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DEALING WITH INNOVATION AND UNCERTAINTY: Cedric F. Garland, Frank C. Garland, Edward D. Gorham, Martin Lipkin, Harold Newmark, Sharif B. Mohr, and Michael F. Holick The Role of Vitamin D in Cancer Prevention Am J Public Health 2006; 96: 252-261 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Vitamin D, angiogenesis and hematological malignancies

Marco Ruggiero, Stefania Pacini   (1 March 2006)

Vitamin D, angiogenesis and hematological malignancies 1 March 2006
Marco Ruggiero, Professor of Molecular Biology Department of Experimental Pathology and Oncology, University of Firenze, Italy., Stefania Pacini Send letter to journal: Re: Vitamin D, angiogenesis and hematological malignancies marco.ruggiero{at}unifi.it Marco Ruggiero, et al.	The paper by Garland and colleagues (1) on the role of vitamin D in cancer prevention (e-published in December, 2005) is a welcome addition to the nutrition-based cancer prevention literature. The Authors point to inhibition of angiogenesis as a mechanism for vitamin D effects on the solid tumors considered in their study i.e. colon, breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. However, also hematological malignancies depend on successful angiogenesis (2), and here (Table 1) we report for the first time that 1a,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1a,25(OH)2D3, the active form of vitamin D) inhibited the angiogenesis induced in chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) by conditioned medium (CM) taken from Friend erythroleukemia cells, a model for the physiopathology of human leukemia (3). These results, together with the general consensus that vitamin D influences leukemic cell proliferation and differentiation (4), might encourage further studies exploring the relationship between vitamin D status and hematological malignancies.   Table 1. Chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay.   CFMN S.E.M. Control  18.2 0.99 1a,25(OH)2D3  (10-8 M)  21.2 0.97 CM Friend erythroleukemia cells  37.5* 0.92 CM Friend erythroleukemia cells + 1a,25(OH)2D3  24.1** 0.83   Fertilized white Leghorn chicken eggs were incubated and prepared as described (5). Live images of the CAM were captured using a high-resolution digital camera connected with the microscope. Images were digitized and analysed for number of angiogenic blood vessels. Angiogenesis was assessed by scoring the circumfocal microvessel number (CFMN). Data are reported as means ± S.E.M. (n=18). *indicates significant difference from control ( p < 0.02). **indicates significant difference from CM Friend erythroleukemia cells ( p < 0.02).     1. Garland CF, Garland FC, Gorham ED, Lipkin M, Newmark H, Mohr SB, Holick MF. The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention. Am J Public Health. 2006; 96: 9- 18. 2. Moehler TM, Ho AD, Goldschmidt H, Barlogie B. Angiogenesis in hematological malignancies. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2003; 45: 227-244. 3. Smadja-Joffe F, Jasmin C, Kerdiles C, Klein B. Friend leukemia: a model for the physiopathology of human cronic leukemia. Eur J Cancer 1975; 11: 831-840. 4. Luong QT and Koeffler HP. Vitamin D compounds in leukemia. J. Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2004; 97: 195-202. 5. Ribatti D, Gualandris A, Bastaki M, Vacca A, Iurlaro M, Roncali L, Presta M. New model for the study of angiogenesis and antiangiogenesis in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane: the gelatin sponge/chorioallantoic membrane assay, J Vasc Res. 1997;  34: 455-463.