25-hydroxycholesterol Contributes to Cerebral Inflammation of X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy Through Activation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome
Overview
Authors
Affiliations
X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD), caused by an ABCD1 mutation, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with the accumulation of very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA). Cerebral inflammatory demyelination is the major feature of childhood cerebral ALD (CCALD), the most severe form of ALD, but its underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we identify the aberrant production of cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (CH25H) and 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC) in the cellular context of CCALD based on the analysis of ALD patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells and ex vivo fibroblasts. Intriguingly, 25-HC, but not VLCFA, promotes robust NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and activation via potassium efflux-, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS)- and liver X receptor (LXR)-mediated pathways. Furthermore, stereotaxic injection of 25-HC into the corpus callosum of mouse brains induces microglial recruitment, interleukin-1β production, and oligodendrocyte cell death in an NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent manner. Collectively, our results indicate that 25-HC mediates the neuroinflammation of X-ALD via activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.
Izumi Y, ODell K, Mennerick S, Zorumski C Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):6149.
PMID: 39979396 PMC: 11842721. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-90149-2.
Yoon S, Kim C, Lee E, Lee C, Lee K, Lee J Nat Commun. 2025; 16(1):699.
PMID: 39814731 PMC: 11735931. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56097-1.
Fundamental Neurochemistry Review: Lipids across microglial states.
Traetta M, Vecchiarelli H, Tremblay M J Neurochem. 2024; 169(1):e16259.
PMID: 39696753 PMC: 11655966. DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16259.
Hashemi E, Srivastava I, Aguirre A, Yoseph E, Kaushal E, Awani A Ann Neurol. 2024; 97(2):296-312.
PMID: 39467011 PMC: 11747894. DOI: 10.1002/ana.27117.
Role and Function of Peroxisomes in Neuroinflammation.
Sarkar C, Lipinski M Cells. 2024; 13(19.
PMID: 39404418 PMC: 11476013. DOI: 10.3390/cells13191655.