The contribution of the citrate pathway to oxidative stress in Down syndrome

Summary Inflammatory conditions and oxidative stress have a crucial role in Down syndrome ( DS ). Emerging studies have also reported an altered lipid profile in the early stages of DS . Our previous works demonstrate that citrate pathway activation is required for oxygen radical production during inflammation. Here, we find up‐regulation of the citrate pathway and down‐regulation of carnitine/acylcarnitine carrier and carnitine palmitoyl‐transferase 1 genes in cells from children with DS . Interestingly, when the citrate pathway is inhibited, we observe a reduction in oxygen radicals as well as in lipid peroxidation levels. Our preliminary findings provide evidence for a citrate pathway dysregulation, which could be related to some phenotypic traits of people with DS .