Methyl-beta-cyclodextrin induces mitochondrial cholesterol depletion and alters the mitochondrial structure and bioenergetics.

There is growing evidence of mitochondrial membrane raft-like microdomains that are involved in the apoptotic pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MβCD), being a well-known lipid microdomain disrupting agent and cholesterol chelator, on the structure and bioenergetics of rat liver mitochondria (RLM). We observed that MβCD decreases the function of RLM, induces changes in the mitochondrial configuration state and decreases the calcium chloride-induced swelling.