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Review
. 2023 Apr 30;32(2):57-67.
doi: 10.5607/en23010.

Impaired Cholesterol Metabolism, Neurons, and Neuropsychiatric Disorders

So Yeong Cheon  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Impaired Cholesterol Metabolism, Neurons, and Neuropsychiatric Disorders

So Yeong Cheon. Exp Neurobiol. .

Abstract

Cholesterol metabolism plays an essential role in cellular functions (including as a component of the plasma membrane, as an energy source, and in hormone production) under normal conditions. Dysregulated cholesterol metabolism causes a wide spectrum of pathological conditions, leading to neuropsychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression. In addition, patients with neuropsychiatric disorders also have impaired cholesterol metabolism. Therefore, metabolic disturbances are closely associated with the neuropsychiatric disorders. Although immune disturbance, neuroinflammation, a dysregulated neurotransmitter system, and oxidative stress have been suggested as pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism is also found in patients with psychiatric diseases. As expected, patients with mental illness appear to be at risk of metabolic disorders, including metabolic syndrome, in which cholesterol influences altered neuronal homeostasis, such as neuronal cell toxicity, neuronal cell death, and neuronal structures and functions, including synaptogenesis, neurogenesis, axonogenesis, and action potential. Therefore, reversing impaired or abnormal cholesterol metabolism may help restore neuronal injury found in mental illness. This review is aimed to discuss the links between cholesterol metabolism impairment and neuropsychiatric disorders and provides insights into neuronal dysfunction due to abnormal cholesterol metabolism in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Keywords: Anxiety disorders; Cholesterol; Major depressive disorders; Neurons; Neurotransmission; Synapse.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. The funders had no role in the design of the study, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish this article.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Cholesterol metabolism and neurons. Cholesterol metabolism is essential for synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, neurite outgrowth, neurogenesis, and learning and memory. FDPs, Farnesyl-Diphosphate Synthase; FDFT1, Farnesyl-Diphosphate Farnesyltransferase 1 or Squalene Synthase; SQLE, Squalene Epoxidase.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The relationship between abnormal cholesterol metabolism and neuropsychiatric disorders. Cholesterol imbalance is involved in aberrant neurotransmission, dysregulated HPA axis, altered brain morphology, changes in steroid hormone and abnormalities in learning and memory. HPA, Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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