Impact of Oxysterols on Cell Death, Proliferation, and Differentiation Induction: Current Status

Oxysterols are oxidized derivatives of cholesterol produced by enzymatic activity or non-enzymatic pathways (auto-oxidation). The oxidation processes lead to the synthesis of about 60 different oxysterols. Several oxysterols have physiological, pathophysiological, and pharmacological activities. The effects of oxysterols on cell death processes, especially apoptosis, autophagy, necrosis, and oxiapoptophagy, as well as their action on cell proliferation, are reviewed here. These effects, also observed in several cancer cell lines, could potentially be useful in cancer treatment. The effects of oxysterols on cell differentiation are also described. Among them, the properties of stimulating the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells while inhibiting adipogenic differentiation may be useful in regenerative medicine.

4β-hydroxycholesterol is a pro-lipogenic factor that promotes SREBP1c expression and activity through Liver X-receptor

Oxysterols are oxidized derivatives of cholesterol that play signaling roles in lipid biosynthesis and homeostasis. Here we show that 4β-hydroxycholesterol (4β-HC), a liver and serum abundant oxysterol of poorly defined function, is a potent and selective inducer of the master lipogenic transcription factor, Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1c (SREBP1c), but not the related steroidogenic transcription factor SREBP2. Mechanistically, 4β-HC acts as a putative agonist for Liver X receptor (LXR), a sterol sensor and transcriptional regulator previously linked to SREBP1c activation. Unique among the oxysterol agonists of LXR, 4β-HC induced expression of the lipogenic program downstream of SREBP1c, and triggered de novo lipogenesis both in primary hepatocytes and in mouse liver. 4β-HC-acted in parallel to insulin-PI3K-dependent signaling to stimulate triglyceride synthesis and lipid droplet accumulation. Thus, 4β-HC is an endogenous regulator of de novo lipogenesis through the LXR-SREBP1c axis.

Subverting sterols: rerouting an oxysterol-signaling pathway to promote tumor growth

Oxysterols are oxidized derivatives of cholesterol that are generated enzymatically or through autoxidation. Initially identified as important lipid signaling molecules in the context of atherosclerosis and inflammation, accumulated evidence indicates that these lipid-signaling molecules can have pleiotropic effects on the fate and function of the immune system. These effects range from the regulation of immune cell survival and proliferation to chemotaxis and antiviral immunity. New studies now indicate that tumor-derived oxysterols can serve to subvert the immune system by recruiting protumorigenic neutrophils into the tumor microenvironment. The consequence of this recruitment is the generation of proangiogenic factors and matrix metalloproteinase proteins that provide a tumor a significant growth and survival advantage. In combination with other recent studies, these data highlight the ongoing cross talk between sterol metabolism and the immune system, and they raise the intriguing possibility that targeting oxysterol pathways could serve as a novel therapeutic approach in the war on cancer.

New Functions for Oxysterols and Their Cellular Receptors

Oxysterols are naturally occurring oxidized derivatives of cholesterol, or by-products of cholesterol biosynthesis, with multiple biologic functions. These compounds display cytotoxic, pro-apoptotic, and pro-inflammatory activities and may play a role in the pathology of atherosclerosis. Their functions as intermediates in the synthesis of bile acids and steroid hormones, and as readily transportable forms of sterol are well established. During the past decade, however, novel physiologic activities of oxysterols have emerged. They are now thought to act as endogenous regulators of gene expression in lipid metabolism. Recently, new intracellular oxysterol receptors have been identified and novel functions of oxysterols in cell signaling discovered, evoking novel interest in these compounds in several branches of biomedical research.