Treatment of 13-cis retinoic acid and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 inhibits TNF-alpha-mediated expression of MMP-9 protein and cell invasion through the suppression of JNK pathway and microRNA 221 in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cancer cells

Vitamin A and its influence on tumour extracellular matrix

Vitamin A is a crucial nutrient renowned for its role in visual health and cellular regulation. Its derivatives influence cell differentiation, proliferation, and tissue homeostasis, making them significant in cancer research due to their effects on both normal and tumour cells. This review explores the intricate relationship between vitamin A metabolism and the extracellular matrix (ECM) in cancer. The ECM profoundly affects tumour behaviour, including proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Alterations in the ECM can facilitate tumour progression, and vitamin A derivatives have shown potential in modulating these changes. Through transcriptional regulation, vitamin A impacts ECM components and matrix metalloproteinases, influencing tumour dynamics. The review highlights the potential of vitamin A and its derivatives as adjunctive agents in cancer therapy. Despite promising laboratory findings, their clinical application remains limited due to challenges in translating these effects into therapeutic outcomes. Future research should focus on the modulation of retinol metabolism within tumours and the development of targeted therapies to enhance treatment efficacy and improve patient prognosis.

Vitamin D and Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma-A Review of a Complicated Relationship

INTRODUCTION

From the observation of a negative relationship between UV-B exposure and cancer rates, we hypothesized that vitamin D (VD) may play a protective role in oncogenesis. Moreover, repurposing a well-known and relatively safe drug for conditions with dismal prospects, such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is a tempting idea. Thus, we aimed to summarize the current knowledge regarding the role of VD in the prevention and treatment of PDAC.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of VD and PDAC using Medline-indexed studies accessed through PubMed as the primary data source. This study aimed to identify articles focusing on the role of VD as a risk and prognostic factor for PDAC, mechanistic studies evaluating the effects of VD or vitamin D analogs (VDAs) in PDAC models, and clinical trials on VDAs in PDAC. After the screening, 97 studies were included in the final manuscript.

CONCLUSION

Even though the results from epidemiologic studies were contradictory, basic research has demonstrated that VD can act on PDAC cells either directly, inhibiting proliferation, apoptosis, EMT, migration, invasion, and stemness, or indirectly, through stromal remodeling. A better understanding of the consequences of VD-induced tumor-stroma cross-talk alterations is needed to determine whether VD/VDAs can be used to our own advantage in the treatment of PDAC.

Pet Wellness and Vitamin A: A Narrative Overview

The health of companion animals, particularly dogs and cats, is significantly influenced by nutrition, with vitamins playing a crucial role. Vitamin A, in particular, is indispensable, with diverse roles ranging from vision to immune modulation and reproduction. Despite its importance, the metabolism and dietary requirements of vitamin A in companion animals remain complex and not fully understood. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the historical perspective, the digestion, the metabolism, the physiological roles, the deficiency, the excess, and the interactions with other micronutrients of vitamin A in companion animals. Additionally, it highlights future research directions and gaps in our understanding. Insights into the metabolism of vitamin A in companion animals, personalized nutrition strategies based on genetic variability, longitudinal studies tracking the status of vitamin A, and investigations into its immunomodulatory effects are crucial for optimizing pet health and wellness. Furthermore, understanding the stability and bioavailability of vitamin A in pet food formulations is essential for ensuring the provision of adequate micronutrients. Overall, this review underscores the importance of vitamin A in companion animal nutrition and the need for further research to enhance our understanding and to optimize dietary recommendations for pet health and well-being.

Vitamin A, D, E, and K as Matrix Metalloproteinase-2/9 Regulators That Affect Expression and Enzymatic Activity

Fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E, and K) assume a pivotal role in maintaining human homeostasis by virtue of their enzymatic functions. The daily inclusion of these vitamins is imperative to the upkeep of various physiological processes including vision, bone health, immunity, and protection against oxidative stress. Current research highlights fat-soluble vitamins as potential therapeutics for human diseases, especially cancer. Fat-soluble vitamins exert their therapeutic effects through multiple pathways, including regulation of matrix metalloproteinases' (MMPs) expression and enzymatic activity. As MMPs have been reported to be involved in the pathology of various diseases, such as cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disorders, regulating the expression and/or activity of MMPs could be considered as a potent therapeutic strategy. Here, we summarize the properties of fat-soluble vitamins and their potential as promising candidates capable of effectively modulating MMPs through multiple pathways to treat human diseases.

Role of Vitamin D in Head and Neck Cancer-Immune Function, Anti-Tumour Effect, and Its Impact on Patient Prognosis

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) describes a heterogeneous group of human neoplasms of the head and neck with high rates of morbidity and mortality, constituting about 3% of all cancers and ~1.5% of all cancer deaths. HNSCC constituted the seventh most prevalent human malignancy and the most common human cancer in the world in 2020, according to multi-population observations conducted by the GLOBOCAN group. Since approximately 60-70% of patients present with stage III/IV neoplastic disease, HNSCC is still one of the leading causes of death in cancer patients worldwide, with an overall survival rate that is too low, not exceeding 40-60% of these patients. Despite the application of newer surgical techniques and the implementation of modern combined oncological treatment, the disease often follows a fatal course due to frequent nodal metastases and local neoplastic recurrences. The role of micronutrients in the initiation, development, and progression of HNSCC has been the subject of considerable research. Of particular interest has been vitamin D, the pleiotropic biologically active fat-soluble family of secosteroids (vitamin-D-like steroids), which constitutes a key regulator of bone, calcium, and phosphate homeostasis, as well as carcinogenesis and the further development of various neoplasms. Considerable evidence suggests that vitamin D plays a key role in cellular proliferation, angiogenesis, immunity, and cellular metabolism. A number of basic science, clinical, and epidemiological studies indicate that vitamin D has multidirectional biological effects and influences anti-cancer intracellular mechanisms and cancer risk, and that vitamin D dietary supplements have various prophylactic benefits. In the 20th century, it was reported that vitamin D may play various roles in the protection and regulation of normal cellular phenotypes and in cancer prevention and adjunctive therapy in various human neoplasms, including HNSCC, by regulating a number of intracellular mechanisms, including control of tumour cell expansion and differentiation, apoptosis, intercellular interactions, angio- and lymphogenesis, immune function, and tumour invasion. These regulatory properties mainly occur indirectly via epigenetic and transcriptional changes regulating the function of transcription factors, chromatin modifiers, non-coding RNA (ncRNAs), and microRNAs (miRs) through protein-protein interactions and signalling pathways. In this way, calcitriol enhances intercellular communication in cancer biology, restores the connection with the extracellular matrix, and promotes the epithelial phenotype; it thus counteracts the tumour-associated detachment from the extracellular matrix and inhibits the formation of metastases. Furthermore, the confirmation that the vitamin D receptor (VDR) is present in many human tissues confirmed the physiopathological significance of vitamin D in various human tumours. Recent studies indicate quantitative associations between exposure to vitamin D and the incidence of HNC, i.e., cancer risk assessment included circulating calcidiol plasma/serum concentrations, vitamin D intake, the presence of the VDR gene polymorphism, and genes involved in the vitamin D metabolism pathway. Moreover, the chemopreventive efficacy of vitamin D in precancerous lesions of the head and neck and their role as predictors of mortality, survival, and recurrence of head and neck cancer are also widely discussed. As such, it may be considered a promising potential anti-cancer agent for developing innovative methods of targeted therapy. The proposed review discusses in detail the mechanisms regulating the relationship between vitamin D and HNSCC. It also provides an overview of the current literature, including key opinion-forming systematic reviews as well as epidemiological, prospective, longitudinal, cross-sectional, and interventional studies based on in vitro and animal models of HNSCC, all of which are accessible via the PubMed/Medline/EMBASE/Cochrane Library databases. This article presents the data in line with increasing clinical credibility.

Matrix Metalloproteinases and Glaucoma

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are enzymes that decompose extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. MMPs are thought to play important roles in cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis, migration, apoptosis, and host defense. MMPs are distributed in almost all intraocular tissues and are involved in physiological and pathological mechanisms of the eye. MMPs are also associated with glaucoma, a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the eyes. MMP activity affects intraocular pressure control and apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells, which are the pathological mechanisms of glaucoma. It also affects the risk of glaucoma development based on genetic pleomorphism. In addition, MMPs may affect the treatment outcomes of glaucoma, including the success rate of surgical treatment and side effects on the ocular surface due to glaucoma medications. This review discusses the various relationships between MMP and glaucoma.

Vitamin D and Cancer: An Historical Overview of the Epidemiology and Mechanisms

This is a narrative review of the evidence supporting vitamin D's anticancer actions. The first section reviews the findings from ecological studies of cancer with respect to indices of solar radiation, which found a reduced risk of incidence and mortality for approximately 23 types of cancer. Meta-analyses of observational studies reported the inverse correlations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] with the incidence of 12 types of cancer. Case-control studies with a 25(OH)D concentration measured near the time of cancer diagnosis are stronger than nested case-control and cohort studies as long follow-up times reduce the correlations due to changes in 25(OH)D with time. There is no evidence that undiagnosed cancer reduces 25(OH)D concentrations unless the cancer is at a very advanced stage. Meta-analyses of cancer incidence with respect to dietary intake have had limited success due to the low amount of vitamin D in most diets. An analysis of 25(OH)D-cancer incidence rates suggests that achieving 80 ng/mL vs. 10 ng/mL would reduce cancer incidence rates by 70 ± 10%. Clinical trials have provided limited support for the UVB-vitamin D-cancer hypothesis due to poor design and execution. In recent decades, many experimental studies in cultured cells and animal models have described a wide range of anticancer effects of vitamin D compounds. This paper will review studies showing the inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, dedifferentiation, and invasion together with the sensitization to proapoptotic agents. Moreover, 1,25-(OH)2D3 and other vitamin D receptor agonists modulate the biology of several types of stromal cells such as fibroblasts, endothelial and immune cells in a way that interferes the apparition of metastases. In sum, the available mechanistic data support the global protective action of vitamin D against several important types of cancer.

Downregulation of Methionine Cycle Genes MAT1A and GNMT Enriches Protein-Associated Translation Process and Worsens Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prognosis

The major biological methyl donor, S-adenosylmethionine (adoMet) synthesis occurs mainly in the liver. Methionine adenosyltransferase 1A (MAT1A) and glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) are two key enzymes involved in the functional implications of that variation. We collected 42 RNA-seq data from paired hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its adjacent normal liver tissue from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). There was no mutation found in MAT1A or GNMT RNA in the 42 HCC patients. The 11,799 genes were annotated in the RNA-Seq data, and their expression levels were used to investigate the phenotypes of low MAT1A and low GNMT by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). The REACTOME_TRANSLATION gene set was enriched and visualized in a heatmap along with corresponding differences in gene expression between low MAT1A versus high MAT1A and low GNMT versus high GNMT. We identified 43 genes of the REACTOME_TRANSLATION gene set that are powerful prognosis factors in HCC. The significantly predicted genes were referred into eukaryotic translation initiation (EIF3B, EIF3K), eukaryotic translation elongation (EEF1D), and ribosomal proteins (RPs). Cell models expressing various MAT1A and GNMT proved that simultaneous restoring the expression of MAT1A and GNMT decreased cell proliferation, invasion, as well as the REACTOME_TRANSLATION gene EEF1D, consistent with a better prognosis in human HCC. We demonstrated new findings that downregulation or defect in MAT1A and GNMT genes can enrich the protein-associated translation process that may account for poor HCC prognosis. This is the first study demonstrated that MAT1A and GNMT, the 2 key enzymes involved in methionine cycle, could attenuate the function of ribosome translation. We propose a potential novel mechanism by which the diminished GNMT and MAT1A expression may confer poor prognosis for HCC.