Vitamin E dietary supplementation improves neurological symptoms and decreases c-Abl/p73 activation in Niemann-Pick C mice

Nutrients. 2014 Jul 30;6(8):3000-17. doi: 10.3390/nu6083000.

Abstract

Niemann-Pick C (NPC) disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of free cholesterol in lysosomes. We have previously reported that oxidative stress is the main upstream stimulus activating the proapoptotic c-Abl/p73 pathway in NPC neurons. We have also observed accumulation of vitamin E in NPC lysosomes, which could lead to a potential decrease of its bioavailability. Our aim was to determine if dietary vitamin E supplementation could improve NPC disease in mice. NPC mice received an alpha-tocopherol (α-TOH) supplemented diet and neurological symptoms, survival, Purkinje cell loss, α-TOH and nitrotyrosine levels, astrogliosis, and the c-Abl/p73 pathway functions were evaluated. In addition, the effect of α-TOH on the c-Abl/p73 pathway was evaluated in an in vitro NPC neuron model. The α-TOH rich diet delayed loss of weight, improved coordination and locomotor function and increased the survival of NPC mice. We found increased Purkinje neurons and α-TOH levels and reduced astrogliosis, nitrotyrosine and phosphorylated p73 in cerebellum. A decrease of c-Abl/p73 activation was also observed in the in vitro NPC neurons treated with α-TOH. In conclusion, our results show that vitamin E can delay neurodegeneration in NPC mice and suggest that its supplementation in the diet could be useful for the treatment of NPC patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caspase 3 / genetics
  • Caspase 3 / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Dietary Supplements*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Lysosomes / drug effects
  • Lysosomes / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Niemann-Pick Disease, Type C / drug therapy*
  • Niemann-Pick Disease, Type C / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Tumor Protein p73
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / metabolism*
  • Tyrosine / analogs & derivatives
  • Tyrosine / metabolism
  • Vitamin E / administration & dosage*
  • alpha-Tocopherol

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Trp73 protein, mouse
  • Tumor Protein p73
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • Vitamin E
  • 3-nitrotyrosine
  • Tyrosine
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl
  • Casp3 protein, mouse
  • Caspase 3
  • alpha-Tocopherol