About the possible mechanisms of calcitriol influence on the development of preeclampsia in pregnant women

Abstract

Preeclampsia (PE) of pregnant women remains one of the most important current problems of modern obstetrics. Despite various theories about the pathogenetic mechanisms of its development, new directions in the studying of this problem are continued to emerge. One of the promising areas of researches are works that devoted to the studying of the vitamin D (VD) role in the genesis of PE, which were appeared due to the discovery of the "non-classical" and "extra-skeletal" effects of calcitriol. It is known now that the regulatory system, which is characterized by vitamin D receptors (VDR), is functioning in at least 38 organs and tissues of the body and controls more than 2200 genes. The VD – VDR system is able to specifically respond to the effects of calcitriol by its participation in angiogenesis, in the immune system and in the most important metabolic processes of the body. The presence of vitamin D receptors directly in the reproductive system and in the placenta allows to redefining of its role in the gestational process, particularly in the development of PE in pregnant women. This direction of research is important not only for understanding some aspects of the pathogenetic mechanisms of PE development, but it`s also the possibility of developing new methods for the prevention and treatment of this complication of pregnancy.