Abstract: Objective：There is asingle nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the exon 2 of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene that can be distinguished using the restriction endonuclease FokⅠ, and accordingly divided into three genotypes: FF, Ff and ff. VDR-FokⅠ polymorphism was the only known SNP that could alter the protein structure of VDR. CYP24A1 is the gene encoding vitamin D 24 hydroxylase and is a vitamin D responsive gene. The influence of rs2228570 on transcriptional activation by VDR in human gingival fibroblasts (hGF) and periodontal ligament cells (hPDLC) was investigated in this study. Methods: hGF and hPDLC of 12 donors’ were primarily cultured and genomic DNA was extracted. A part of genomic DNA with the length of 267 bp was obtained using PCR, which contained the SNP. VDRFok Ⅰ genotypes were determined according to the results of restriction fragment length polymorphism. hGF and hPDLC were stimulated with 10 nmol/L 1α,25 dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25OH2D3) or 1 000 nmol/L 25 hydroxy vitamin D3 (25OHD3) for 48 h before RNA was extracted. Then VDR antagonist ZK159222 was used or not used during 1,25OH2D3 or 25OHD3 stimulation with hGF and hPDLC. After 1,25OH2D3 stimulation for 48 h, the proteins in hGF and hPDLC were also collected. The protein expressions of CYP24A1 and VDR were detected using Western blot. Results: Among the 12 donors’ cell cultures, the number of FF, ff and Ff genotypes was 4, 3 and 5, respectively.After stimulation with 1,25OH2D3or 25OHD3 for 48 h,CYP24A1 mRNA levels in FF-hGF were significantly higher than those in other hGF genotypes(1,25OH2D3: F=31.147, P<0.01; 25OHD3: F = 32.061，P <0.01), as was in FFhPDLC (1,25OH2D3: F=23.347, P<0.01; 25OHD3: F = 32.569，P < 0.01). When ZK159222 was used before 1,25OH2D3 stimulation, this statistically significant difference disappeared (hGF: F=0.246, P=0.787; hPDLC: F=0.574, P=0.583). When ZK159222 was used before 25OHD3 stimulation, the trend was similar (hGF: F = 1.636, P = 0.248; hPDLC: F =0.582, P=0.578).After stimulation with 1,25OH2D3 for 48 h, CYP24A1 protein levels in FF-hGF were significantly higher than those in the other hGF genotypes (F=12.368, P <0.01), as was in FFhPDLC (F=15.749, P <0.01). In hGF and hPDLC, the mRNA or protein expression of VDR of different genotypes was not significantly different under different stimulation conditions.The paired comparison showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the expression of CYP24A1 in hGF and that in hPDLC under all the stimulation conditions, as was the expression of VDR. Conclusion: In hGF and hPDLC, the FF-VDR genotype is associated with the more remarkable up-regulation of CYP24A1than the other genotypes, indicating that transcriptional activation of FF-VDR might be higher than those of other vitamin D receptors.

Key words: Vitamin D receptor, Rs2228570, Vitamin D3 24-hydroxylase