VDR and diabetes mellitus: While western blot analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in VDR levels in DM mice (0.41 ± 0.1) compared with the control groups (1.05 ± 0.16) (p < 0.01), paricalcitol-treated mice (both early and late treatments) expressed VDR (1.07 ± 0.16 and 0.83 ± 0.17, respectively) at levels similar to those of untreated control mice (Figures 2(b) and 2(c)).