Alterations in lipid homeostasis are implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, although the mechanisms responsible are poorly understood. We evaluated the impact of cholesterol accumulation, induced by U18666A, quinacrine or mutations in the cholesterol transporting Niemann-Pick disease type C1 (NPC1) protein, on lysosomal stability and sensitivity to lysosome-mediated cell death. We found that neurons with lysosomal cholesterol accumulation were protected from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. In addition, human fibroblasts with cholesterol-loaded lysosomes showed higher lysosomal membrane stability than controls. Previous studies have shown that cholesterol accumulation is accompanied by the storage of lipids such as sphingomyelin, glycosphingolipids and sphingosine and an up regulation of lysosomal associated membrane protein-2 (LAMP-2), which may also influence lysosomal stability. However, in this study the use of myriocin and LAMP deficient fibroblasts excluded these factors as responsible for the rescuing effect and instead suggested that primarily lysosomal cholesterol content determineD the cellular sensitivity to toxic insults. Further strengthening this concept, depletion of cholesterol using methyl-β-cyclodextrin or 25-hydroxycholesterol decreased the stability of lysosomes and cells became more prone to undergo apoptosis. In conclusion, cholesterol content regulated lysosomal membrane permeabilization and thereby influenced cell death sensitivity. Our data suggests that lysosomal cholesterol modulation might be used as a therapeutic strategy for conditions associated with accelerated or repressed apoptosis.

The intravenous anaesthetic propofol retracts neurites and reverses the transport of vesicles in rat cortical neurons. Orexin A (OA) is an endogenous neuropeptide regulating wakefulness and may counterbalance anaesthesia. We aim to investigate if OA interacts with anaesthetics by inhibition of the propofol-induced neurite retraction.

Propofol activates the γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAA R) and causes a reversible neurite retraction, leaving a thin, thread-like structure behind; it also reverses the transport of vesicles in rat cortical neurons. The awakening peptide orexin A (OA) inhibits this retraction via phospholipase D (PLD) and protein kinase Cɛ (PKCɛ). The human SH-SY5Y cells express both GABAA Rs and orexin 1 and 2 receptors. These cells are used to examine the interaction between OA and the GABAA R. The effects of OA are studied with flow cytometry and immunoblotting. This study shows that OA stimulates phosphorylation on the serine residues of the GABAA R β2 subunit and that the phosphorylation is caused by the activation of PLD and PKCɛ. OA administration followed by propofol reduces the cell surface expression of the GABAA R, whereas propofol stimulation before OA increases the surface expression. The GABAA R β2 subunit is important for receptor recirculation, and the effect of OA on propofol-stimulated cells may be due to a disturbed recirculation of the GABAA R.