Vitamin D₃ Metabolites Stimulate Prostaglandin Production by Human Fetal Membranes and Placenta in Vitro

ABSTRACT

In the present study we examined whether the vitamin D₃ metabolites, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1-25-dihydroxycholecalciferol affected the production of the prostaglandins PGE₂ and PGF_2α in human fetal membranes and placenta in vitro. Human amnion, chorion, decidual, and placental cells were maintained in primary monolayer culture. Treatment with the vitamin D₃ metabolites resulted in an increase in PGE₂ and PGF_2α production by amnion, decidua, and placental cells; however, these effects varied with time and were different between tissues. Although there was no significant increase in the production of PGE₂ and PGF_2α by chorion cells in vitro, there was a significant increase in the production of prostaglandin F metabolites after treatment with the vitamin D₃ metabolites. The data suggest that the vitamin D₃ metabolites may increase free calcium availability and the conversion of arachidonic acid to the prostaglandins. The data do not, however, exclude the possibility that the vitamin D₃ metabolites act at other points of arachidonic acid metabolism. These findings raise the possibility of a paracrine role for the vitamin D₃ metabolites in the modulation of prostaglandin production within the human fetal membranes and placenta.