Paricalcitol

1,25-Dihydroxy vitamin D2 is a potent agonist of the vitamin D receptor. Paricalcitol is a synthetic 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D2 analog. As vitamin D deficiency, associated with chronic kidney disease, leads to an increase in parathyroid hormone (secondary hyperparathyroidism), paricalcitol is used in renal patients to block parathyroid hormone overproduction. Vitamin D deficiency is also a risk factor in cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes, and paricalcitol may have applications in those contexts as well.

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2. Kato, S.,Kim, M.S.,Yamaoka, K., et al. Mechanisms of transcriptional repression by 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D. Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension 16, 297-304 (2007).
3. Brown, A.J.,Finch, J.,Takahashi, F., et al. Calcemic activity of 19-nor-1,25(OH)2D2 decreases with duration of treatment. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 11, 2088-2094 (2000).
4. Duplancic, D.,Cesarik, M.,Poljak, N.K., et al. The influence of selective vitamin D receptor activator paricalcitol on cardiovascular system and cardiorenal protection. Clinical Interventions in Aging 8, 149-156 (2013).