We provide data that calcitriol supplementation, used at nanomolar concentrations, is able to reverse the molecular and cellular markers altered in DRG neurons. Calcitriol is able to recover both ferredoxin 1 and NCLX levels and restores mitochondrial membrane potential indicating an overall mitochondrial function improvement. Accordingly, reduction of apoptotic markers and neurite degeneration was observed and, as a result, cell survival was also recovered. All these beneficial effects would be explained by the finding that calcitriol is able to increase the mature frataxin levels in both, frataxin-deficient DRG neurons and cardiomyocytes; remarkably, this increase also occurs in lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from FA patients. In conclusion, these results provide molecular bases to consider calcitriol for an easy and affordable therapeutic approach for FA patients.
Saturday, December 12, 2020
Calcitriol increases frataxin levels and restores mitochondrial function in cell models of Friedreich Ataxia
Elena Britti; Fabien Delaspre; Arabela Sanz; Marta Medina-Carbonero; Marta Llovera; Rosa Purroy; Stefka Mincheva-Tasheva; Jordi Tamarit; Joaquim Ros; Biochem J BCJ20200331. doi: 10.1042/BCJ20200331
