title: Involvement of oxysterols in age-related diseases and ageing processes.
abstract: Ageing is accompanied by increasing vulnerability to major pathologies (atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and osteoporosis) which can have similar underlying pathoetiologies. All of these diseases involve oxidative stress, inflammation and/or cell death processes, which are triggered by cholesterol oxide derivatives, also named oxysterols. These oxidized lipids result either from spontaneous and/or enzymatic oxidation of cholesterol on the steroid nucleus or on the side chain. The ability of oxysterols to induce severe dysfunctions in organelles (especially mitochondria) plays key roles in RedOx homeostasis, inflammatory status, lipid metabolism, and in the control of cell death induction, which may at least in part contribute to explain the potential participation of these molecules in ageing processes and in age related diseases. As no efficient treatments are currently available for most of these diseases, which are predicted to become more prevalent due to the increasing life expectancy and average age, a better knowledge of the biological activities of the different oxysterols is of interest, and constitutes an important step toward identification of pharmacological targets for the development of new therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Team 'Biochemistry of Peroxisome, Inflammation and Lipid Metabolism' EA 7270, University of Bourgogne, INSERM, Dijon, France; School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; University of Monastir, Faculty of Medicine, LR12ES05, Lab-NAFS 'Nutrition-Functional Food & Vascular Health', Monastir, Tunisia; Department of Physiology, University College Cork, BioSciences Institute, College Road, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Amira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zarrouk
authors.affiliation: Team 'Biochemistry of Peroxisome, Inflammation and Lipid Metabolism' EA 7270, University of Bourgogne, INSERM, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vejux
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University College Cork, BioSciences Institute, College Road, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mackrill
authors.affiliation: School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: O'Callaghan
authors.affiliation: University of Monastir, Faculty of Medicine, LR12ES05, Lab-NAFS 'Nutrition-Functional Food & Vascular Health', Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammami
authors.affiliation: School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: Team 'Biochemistry of Peroxisome, Inflammation and Lipid Metabolism' EA 7270, University of Bourgogne, INSERM, Dijon, France. Electronic address: gerard.lizard@u-bourgogne.fr.
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lizard
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D004194:Disease; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Age-related diseases; Ageing; Oxysterols