Summary
1 α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (active form of vitamin D3; vitamin D3) has been reported to induce the upregulation of thrombomodulin and downregulation
of tissue factor (TF) on monocytes. The possibility exists that vitamin D3 prevents the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). In particular,
monocyte TF production plays an important role in the pathophysiology of DIC in septic
patients. We have attempted to determine whether vitamin D3 is effective against DIC in a rat model induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) (30
mg/kg, 4 h) or TF (3.75 U/kg, 4 h) using selective hemostatic parameters, markers
of organ dysfunction and pathological findings (assessment of glomelular fibrin deposition).
Vitamin D3 was administered orally each day at a dose of 2.0 mg/kg/day for 3 days, or low molecular
weight heparin (LMWH 200 u/kg; I. V.) was given 10 min before the injection of TF
or LPS in each treatment group. Vitamin D3 was effective against DIC in the rat model induced by LPS only, whereas LMWH was
effective against DIC in both rat models induced by either TF or LPS. The anti-DIC
effect of vitamin D3 was equal to (or more potent than) that of LMWH. The results suggested that vitamin
D3 was useful for the treatment of LPS-induced DIC, and that the assessment of a drug’s
efficacy should be done carefully given the markedly different results obtained according
to the agents used to induce DIC.
Keywords
Disseminated intravascular coagulation - tissue factor - lipopolysaccharide - active
form of vitamin D
3
