Affiliations: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine,
Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey | Institute of Biological Chemistry and Nutrition,
University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Prof. Nesrin Kartal-Özer,
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University, Haydarpasa
34668 Istanbul, Turkey. Tel.: +90 216 414 47 33; Fax: +90 216 418 10 47;
E-mail: nkozer@marmara.edu.tr
Abstract: In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that cholesterol
plays a role in the pathology of Alzheimer disease. Since hypercholesterolemia
was reported to increase the levels of reactive oxygen species and Alzheimer
disease has clearly involved an oxidative component, it is possible that
hypercholesterolemia is via increased oxidant production facilitating the
disease development of the neurodegenerative disease. Therefore, we tested in
an established model of enhanced cholesterol feed in rabbits the effects of
serum cholesterol increase on oxidative stress parameters as well in serum as
in the brain. In addition to that we tested the effects of vitamin E on the
cholesterol-induced oxidative stress. Since Alzheimer disease is largely
connected with increased protein oxidation whereas cholesterol is rather
connected with lipid peroxidation processes, we tested both protein carbonyl
levels and the formation of malondialdehyde, a marker of lipid peroxidation. We
could clearly demonstrate an increase in serum malondialdehyde due to high
cholesterol feeding, which is accompanied by an increase in protein oxidation
parameters in the brain, especially in the hippocampus. Therefore, we suggest
that specific neuropathological changes occur during the feeding of
hypercholesterolemic diet.
Keywords: Hypercholesterolemia, oxidative stress, protein oxidation, protein carbonyls, Alzheimer disease, vitamin E
Journal: BioFactors, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 225-236, 2008
