Studies on the roles of vitamin D on the epithelial tissues of ocular surface

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26462673
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ophthalmology
• Research Institution: National Defense Medical College
• Principal Investigator: Ito Masataka 防衛医科大学校(医学教育部医学科進学課程及び専門課程、動物実験施設、共同利用研究, 再生発生学, 准教授 (30534896)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: ビタミンD / 角膜上皮 / 細胞培養 / 細胞生物学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Vitamin D plays a lot of roles not only on bones but also on many organs including several epithelial tissues. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the roles of vitamin D on the epithelial tissues on ocular surface.
First, we developed an method to culture mouse corneal epithelial cells to make stratified 3D tissue mimicking human corneal epithelium, which has microvilli and basement membrane. Then, we checked the effects of active form of vitamin D on it. Although, the active form of vitamin D suppressed cell proliferation, in the recovery from partial peeling by scratching, re-epithelializing cells showed different expression patterns in cell adhesion molecules and intracellular F-actin, suggesting that vitamin D modifies cell adhesions and movements of corneal epithelial cells.

Free Research Field

発生学