Absence of correlation between oxysterol accumulation in lipid raft microdomains, calcium increase, and apoptosis induction on 158N murine oligodendrocytes

The ability of oxysterols (7-ketocholesterol, 7β-hydroxycholesterol) to trigger a mode of cell death by apoptosis involving GSK-3 and caspase-3 activation is independent of the increase in the Ca2+ level and of their accumulation in lipid raft microdomains. Noteworthy, oxysterol-induced apoptosis was counteracted by α-tocopherol but not by ellagic acid and resveratrol. 27-hydroxycholesterol, which does not induce cell death, accumulates in lipid rafts.