We wish to study the effects of altering dietary cholesterol (CH) on 2 disorders of CH synthesis: mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD), and Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS). SLOS is a multiple congenital anomalies/mental retardation syndrome. MKD causes 2 distinct syndromes, mevalonic aciduria and hyperimmunoglobulinemia D with periodic fever syndrome. Impaired mental and physical development are hallmarks of SLOS and MKD. We hypothesize that long-term supplementation of SLOS subjects with dietary CH with and without statins will raise CH levels, decrease CH precursor synthesis and permit adequate bile acid synthesis. In MKD, the effects of altering dietary CH are unclear. We hypothesize that a low CH diet will be beneficial in MKD, allowing maximal upregulation of HMG CoAR since we postulate that MKD is a disorder of isoprenoid and fatty acid rather than CH synthesis. Mevalonate from HMG CoAR is essential for CH synthesis but also provides isoprenoids essential for cellular function. Furthermore, a normally minor catabolic pathway, the mevalonate shunt, diverts mevalonate from isoprenoid and CH synthesis to the leucine oxidation pathway. Shunting may be protective in SLOS and harmful in MKD. Isoprenoid synthesis and mevalonate shunting may be increased in SLOS due to the enzymatic block distal to the takeoff of these 2 pathways, but decreased in MKD due to the proximal block. In vitro studies are planned to evaluate the effects of perturbations in CH exposure and statins on CH synthesis, mevalonate, isoprenoids, and mevalonate shunt products in SLOS, MKD, and control cells. Isoprenoids and shunt products will also be analyzed in a new SLOS mouse model. Parallel in vivo human studies will look at synthesis of sterols and bile acids, CH absorption, mevalonate excretion as an indicator of HMG CoAR activity, essential fatty acids and leukotrienes, isoprenoids, and mevalonate shunt products in SLOS and MKD, altering dietary CH and statins (SLOS only). The effects of altering dietary CH (and statins in SLOS) on plasma 24-S OH-CH, a measure of brain CH turnover, will be evaluated. We will determine whether mutations in SLOS and MKD genes determine biochemical and clinical phenotype and whether certain genotypes respond differently to altering dietary CH. Studies of metabolism/growth, development, behavior, sleep, feeding, hearing, and vision are performed over the long term to determine if the interventions might be helpful.
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