Furthermore, in experimental studies the prognosis of these cardiovascular diseases can be improved by targeting endogenous sulfur dioxide.\n\nConclusion The findings suggest that

sulfur dioxide is a novel endogenous gaseous signaling learn more molecule involved in the regulation of cardiovascular functions. Chin Med J 2011;124(12):1901-1905″
“Over the last century, the fundamental and central role of vitamin D in the regulation of calcium and bone homeostasis has been widely demonstrated. In recent years a great number of investigations have led to the discovery of new and important actions suggestive of a much broader role controlling the risk of many chronic illnesses; these actions involve hormonal secretion, cell proliferation and differentiation, and the immune modulation system: in this context vitamin D regulates antiviral and antibacterial activities APR-246 by preventing the excessive expression of inflammatory cytokines and stimulating the expression of potent antimicrobial peptides. Knowledge of the effects of

vitamin D deficiency is currently focused on its extracalcemic activity in the development of a large number of diseases such as diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, obesity and nutritional depletion, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, common cancers, and autoimmune diseases. In particular, there isgrowing evidence of the role that vitamin D might play in controlling acute and chronic illnesses involving the respiratory apparatus (upper and lower respiratory tract infections, tuberculosis, asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis and interstitial lung diseases).\n\nThe present review reports the most important data published in the literature, which click here suggest that vitamin D deficiency is, in the respiratory field, an extremely widespread and largely underestimated problem concerning all age-groups and geographic regions in the world, and that its supplementation might constitute a huge unexploited potential in the

standard treatment of acute and chronic respiratory diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Moreover it has been widely demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency, by means of several mechanisms, may influence the decline of respiratory function, directly and indirectly. For these reasons COPD patients could be the best candidates to benefit from vitamin D supplementation; in fact, a potential vitamin D deficiency, on account of its negative effects on muscular and skeletal functions and the lack of its immunomodulating and antinflammatory actions, could be considered a public health problem that calls for appropriate, simple, inexpensive and safe treatment.