Title:A Comprehensive Review on Oxysterols and Related Diseases
Volume: 28
Issue: 1
Author(s): Afshin Samadi, Suna Sabuncuoglu, Mahshid Samadi, Selen Yilmaz Isikhan, Salvatore Chirumbolo, Massimiliano Peana, Incilay Lay, Ahmet Yalcinkaya and Geir Bjørklund*
Affiliation:
- Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM), Mo i Rana,Norway
Keywords:
Oxysterol, cholesterol, molecular targets, disease, pathophysiology, hydroxycholesterol, cholesterol
excretion pathways.
Abstract: The present review aims to provide a complete and comprehensive summary of
current literature relevant to oxysterols and related diseases. Oxidation of cholesterol leads to
the formation of a large number of oxidized products, generally known as oxysterols. They
are intermediates in the biosynthesis of bile acids, steroid hormones, and 1,25-
dihydroxyvitamin D3. Although oxysterols are considered as metabolic intermediates, there is
a growing body of evidence that many of them are bioactive, and their absence or excess may
be part of the cause of a disease phenotype. These compounds derive from either enzymatic or
non-enzymatic oxidation of cholesterol. This study provides comprehensive information
about the structures, formation, and types of oxysterols even when involved in certain disease
states, focusing on their effects on metabolism and linkages with these diseases. The role of
specific oxysterols as mediators in various disorders, such as degenerative (age-related) and
cancer-related disorders, has now become clearer. Oxysterol levels may be employed as suitable
markers for the diagnosis of specific diseases or in predicting the incidence rate of diseases,
such as diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, lung
cancer, breast cancer, and infertility. However, further investigations may be required to confirm
these mentioned possibilities.
