Increased iron staining in the cerebral cortex of cholesterol fed rabbits.
The link between hypercholesterolemia and neuronal damage is not clear. In the present study, we studied some of the possible effects of hypercholesterolemia on the brain, using the cholesterol fed New Zealand White rabbit as a model. An increase in the number of iron positive cells (i.e. oligodendrocytes) was observed in the brain parenchyma, in rabbits treated with a high cholesterol diet for 8 weeks. At this time, no neuronal death was observed, indicating that the increased iron did not occur as a consequence of neuronal injury. No heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) or bilirubin immunoreactivity was observed in the brains in these rabbits, indicating that the iron accumulation did not occur as a consequence of increased breakdown of heme. It is postulated that cholesterol could have subtly damaged brain endothelial cells, resulting in increased iron transport across brain endothelial cells. Hypercholesterolaemia is known to be associated with increased plasma lipid peroxidation which might contribute to such damage.
Ong
Wei-Yi
WY
Department of Anatomy, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119260, Singapore.
Tan
Benny
B
Pan
Ning
N
Jenner
Andrew
A
Whiteman
Matthew
M
Ong
Choon-Nam
CN
Watt
Frank
F
Halliwell
Barry
B
D000818:Animals; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005372:Filipin; D005452:Fluoresceins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000378:metabolism; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011817:Rabbits; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D005452:Fluoresceins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009930:Organic Chemicals; C435731:fluoro jade; D005372:Filipin; D007505:Iron-Dextran Complex; D007501:Iron; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D001663:Bilirubin