Increased Dietary Intake of Vitamin A Promotes Aortic Valve Calcification In Vivo

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology; Dec 2012
Danielle J. Huk*, Harriet L. Hammond*, Hiroyuki Kegechika, Joy Lincoln
From the Center for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research, Columbus, OH (D.J.H., H.L.H., J.L.); The Heart Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH (D.J.H., H.L.H., J.L.); Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Graduate Program, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL (D.J.H.); Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan (H.K., J.L.); and Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Correspondence to Joy Lincoln, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Dr, W309, Columbus, OH. E-mail joy.lincoln at nationwidechildrens.org
↵* Drs Huk and Hammond contributed equally to this work.

Objective—Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a major public health problem with no effective treatment available other than surgery. We previously showed that mature heart valves calcify in response to retinoic acid (RA) treatment through downregulation of the SRY transcription factor Sox9. In this study, we investigated the effects of excess vitamin A and its metabolite RA on heart valve structure and function in vivo and examined the molecular mechanisms of RA signaling during the calcification process in vitro.

Methods and Results—Using a combination of approaches, we defined calcific aortic valve disease pathogenesis in mice fed 200 IU/g and 20 IU/g of retinyl palmitate for 12 months at molecular, cellular, and functional levels. We show that mice fed excess vitamin A develop aortic valve stenosis and leaflet calcification associated with increased expression of osteogenic genes and decreased expression of cartilaginous markers. Using a pharmacological approach, we show that RA-mediated Sox9 repression and calcification is regulated by classical RA signaling and requires both RA and retinoid X receptors.

Conclusion—Our studies demonstrate that excess vitamin A dietary intake promotes heart valve calcification in vivo. Therefore suggesting that hypervitaminosis A could serve as a new risk factor of calcific aortic valve disease in the human population.
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Vitamin A in the past appeared to block the effects of vitamin D.
This may be an example of that blocking
No mention of Vitamin K2 – which controls where Calcium is deposited in the body

See also Vitamin D Life

• Vitamin D needs some vitamin A, but not too much – Nov 2011
• Vitamin A may thwart the ability of vitamin D to reduce risk of osteoporosis – June 2010
• Masterjohn on relationships between Vitamin A D and K – Dec 2010
• Vitamin A and risk of prostate cancer – March 2011
• Vitamin A may thwart the ability of vitamin D to reduce risk of osteoporosis – June 2010
• Price and Masterjohn on Vitamin A Vitamin D and Vitamin K – 2010
• Response by Masterjohn on vitamin A thwarting vitamin D – Mar 2010
• Vitamin D protects against lung cancer unless there is excess vitamin A – July 2012
• Increased salt consumption decreased vitamin D
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• All items in category Vitamin A 54 items
• Vitamin A and dioxin-like compounds in fish liver, etc may block vitamin D – July 2012
• Overview Cardiovascular and vitamin D
• Soft Bones, Hard Arteries, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2 and antibiotics – Sept 2012
• 7 X more likely to get hip fracture if have highest level of vitamin A – Jan 2003