IMPACT OF EXPOSITION OF LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN IN MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION ON MOUSE HIPPOCAMPAL NEURONAL CELLS.

Hypercholesterolemia is characterized by high plasmatic concentrations of cholesterol, specifically the low-density lipoprotein (LDL). In the last decades, hypercholesterolemia has been associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s Disease. Experimental studies demonstrated that hypercholesterolemic mice present an increase in blood-brain barrier permeability which could permit the extravasation of plasma compounds to the brain, including LDL. Moreover, some authors already associated cognitive impairment with mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease. Despite that, the exact relationship between hypercholesterolemia and cognitive disorders is still unclear.