Vitamin E: Mechanism of transport and regulation in the CNS. Issue 4 (17th December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Paris; Ulatowski, Lynn M.
• Other Names: Zingg Jean‐Marc guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: IUBMB life. Volume 71:Issue 4(2019)
• Page Start: 424
• Page End: 429
• Publication Date: 2018-12-17
• Subjects: vitamin E -- oxidative stress -- CNS -- alpha‐tocopherol; Biochemistry -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; 572.8
• DOI: 10.1002/iub.1993
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1521-6543

Abstract

Abstract: Although vitamin E has been recognized as a critical micronutrient to neuronal health for more than half a century, vitamin E transport and regulation in the brain remain a mystery. Currently, the majority of what is known about vitamin E transport has been delineated in the liver. However, clues from the pathogenesis of neurological‐related vitamin E deficient diseases point to compromised neuronal integrity and function, underlining the critical need to understand vitamin E regulation in the CNS. Additionally, most of the same molecular players involved in vitamin E transport in the liver are also found in CNS, including sterol SRB1, TTP, and ABCA/ABCG, suggesting similar intracellular pathways between these organ systems. Finally, based on chemical similarities, intracellular CNS shuttling of vitamin E likely resembles cholesterol's use of ApoE particles. Utilizing this information, this review will address what is currently known about trafficking vitamin E across the blood brain barrier in order to ensure an adequate supply of the essential nutrient to the brain. Although debatable, the health of the brain in relation to vitamin E levels has been demonstrated, most notably in oxidative stress‐related conditions such as ataxias, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Future vitamin E research is vital in understanding how the regulation of the vitamin can aid in the prevention, treatment, and curing of neurological diseases. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 71(4):424–429, 2019