Regulation of the CAMP gene by 1,25(OH)2D3 in various tissues

The induction of antimicrobial peptides such as the human cathelicidin, CAMP/hCAP18, by 1,25(OH)2D3 provides a very exciting therapeutic approach in boosting immunity against infectious diseases. To explore the range of cell types and expand the number of cell models for studying the regulation of CAMP gene expression by 1,25(OH)2D3, we treated cell lines from various tissue types and determined CAMP gene expression. Also, we tested additional compounds together with 1,25(OH)2D3 to look for possible cooperative activation of the gene. We identified 1,25(OH)2D3-mediated induction of the CAMP gene in B-cell lymphomas, prostate and endometrial cancer lines and found cooperative activation with the histone deacetylase inhibitor sodium butyrate. The data suggest that regulation of CAMP by 1,25(OH)2D3 is potentially important in a wide range of tissues.