title: Increased iron staining in the cerebral cortex of cholesterol fed rabbits.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119260, Singapore.
authors.forename: Wei-Yi
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Benny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jenner
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Whiteman
authors.forename: Choon-Nam
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Watt
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Halliwell
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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