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Kulkarni A, Zhao A, Yang B, Zhang Y, Linderborg KM. Tissue-Specific Content of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in (n-3) Deficiency State of Rats. Foods 2022; 11:208. [PMID: 35053940 PMCID: PMC8774705 DOI: 10.3390/foods11020208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The dietary intake of fatty acids (FAs) affects the composition and distribution of FAs in the body. Here, a first-generation (n-3)-deficiency study was conducted by keeping young (age 21 ± 2 days) Sprague-Dawley male rats on a peanut-oil-based diet for 33 days after weaning in order to compare the effect of mild (n-3)-deficiency on the lipid composition of different organs and feces. Soybean-oil-based diet was used as a control. The plasma FA levels corresponded to FAs levels in the organs. Lower docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content was detected in the plasma, brain, testis, visceral fat, heart, and lungs of the (n-3)-deficient group, whereas the DHA content of the eye and feces did not differ between the experimental groups. The DHA content of the brains of the (n-3)-deficient group was 86% of the DHA content of the brains of the (n-3)-adequate group. The DHA level of the organs was affected in the order of visceral fat > liver triacylglycerols > lung > heart > liver phospholipids > testis > eye > brain, with brain being least affected. The low levels of (n-3) FAs in the liver, brain, eye, heart, and lung were offset by an increase in the (n-6) FAs, mainly arachidonic acid. These results indicate that, in rats, adequate maternal nutrition during pregnancy and weaning does not provide enough (n-3) FAs for 33 days of an (n-3)-deficient diet. Results of this study can be used also to evaluate the conditions needed to reach mild (n-3) deficiency in the first generation of rats and to evaluate the feasibility to collect data from a variety of organs or only selected ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amruta Kulkarni
- Food Chemistry and Food Development, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland; (A.K.); (B.Y.)
| | - Ai Zhao
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100083, China;
| | - Baoru Yang
- Food Chemistry and Food Development, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland; (A.K.); (B.Y.)
| | - Yumei Zhang
- Department of Nutrition & Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Kaisa M. Linderborg
- Food Chemistry and Food Development, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland; (A.K.); (B.Y.)
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2
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Zhang W, Chen R, Yang T, Xu N, Chen J, Gao Y, Stetler RA. Fatty acid transporting proteins: Roles in brain development, aging, and stroke. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2018; 136:35-45. [PMID: 28457600 PMCID: PMC5650946 DOI: 10.1016/j.plefa.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are required for the brain development and significantly impact aging and stroke. Due to the hydrophobicity of fatty acids, fatty acids transportation related proteins that include fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs), long chain acyl-coA synthase (ACS), fatty acid transportation proteins (FATPs), fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) and newly reported major facilitator superfamily domain-containing protein (Mfsd2a) play critical roles in the uptake of various fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are not only involved in neurodevelopment, but also have great impact on neurological disease, such as aging related dementia and stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Brain Sciences and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Ruiying Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Brain Sciences and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Tuo Yang
- Pittsburgh Institute of Brain Disorders & Recovery and Department of Neurology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Na Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Brain Sciences and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Brain Sciences and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Pittsburgh Institute of Brain Disorders & Recovery and Department of Neurology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Health Care System, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Yanqin Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Brain Sciences and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Pittsburgh Institute of Brain Disorders & Recovery and Department of Neurology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - R Anne Stetler
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Brain Sciences and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Pittsburgh Institute of Brain Disorders & Recovery and Department of Neurology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Health Care System, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
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3
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Healy-Stoffel M, Levant B. N-3 (Omega-3) Fatty Acids: Effects on Brain Dopamine Systems and Potential Role in the Etiology and Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Disorders. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2018; 17:216-232. [PMID: 29651972 PMCID: PMC6563911 DOI: 10.2174/1871527317666180412153612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE A number of neuropsychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and, to some extent, depression, involve dysregulation of the brain dopamine systems. The etiology of these diseases is multifactorial, involving genetic and environmental factors. Evidence suggests that inadequate levels of n-3 (omega- 3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the brain may represent a risk factor for these disorders. These fatty acids, which are derived from the diet, are a major component of neuronal membranes and are of particular importance in brain development and function. Low levels of n-3 PUFAs in the brain affect the brain dopamine systems and, when combined with appropriate genetic and other factors, increase the risk of developing these disorders and/or the severity of the disease. This article reviews the neurobiology of n-3 PUFAs and their effects on dopaminergic function. CONCLUSION Clinical studies supporting their role in the etiologies of diseases involving the brain dopamine systems and the potential of n-3 PUFAs in the treatment of these disorders are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Beth Levant
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics and the Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
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4
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Dietary eicosapentaenoic acid normalizes hippocampal omega-3 and 6 polyunsaturated fatty acid profile, attenuates glial activation and regulates BDNF function in a rodent model of neuroinflammation induced by central interleukin-1β administration. Eur J Nutr 2017; 57:1781-1791. [DOI: 10.1007/s00394-017-1462-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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5
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Lipids in psychiatric disorders and preventive medicine. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:336-362. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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6
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Dietary Oil Source and Selenium Supplementation Modulate Fads2 and Elovl5 Transcriptional Levels in Liver and Brain of Meagre (Argyrosomus regius). Lipids 2016; 51:729-41. [DOI: 10.1007/s11745-016-4157-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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7
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Erukainure OL, Ajiboye JA, Davis FF, Obabire K, Okoro EE, Adenekan SO, Adegbola MV, Awogbemi BJ, Odjobo BO, Zaruwa MZ. Effect of soy oil, orange (<em>Citrus sinensis</em>) peel oil and their blends on total phospholipid, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant defense system in brain tissues of normo rats. GRASAS Y ACEITES 2016. [DOI: 10.3989/gya.0373151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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8
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Ellis SR, Cappell J, Potočnik NO, Balluff B, Hamaide J, Van der Linden A, Heeren RMA. More from less: high-throughput dual polarity lipid imaging of biological tissues. Analyst 2016; 141:3832-41. [DOI: 10.1039/c6an00169f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Here, we reveal the increased biochemical and spatial information acquired using high-speed MALDI-MSI and sequential acquisitions of positive and negative lipid-MSI data from single tissue sections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane R. Ellis
- M4I
- The Maastricht Multimodal Molecular Imaging Institute
- 6229 ER Maastricht
- The Netherlands
| | - Joanna Cappell
- M4I
- The Maastricht Multimodal Molecular Imaging Institute
- 6229 ER Maastricht
- The Netherlands
| | - Nina Ogrinc Potočnik
- M4I
- The Maastricht Multimodal Molecular Imaging Institute
- 6229 ER Maastricht
- The Netherlands
| | - Benjamin Balluff
- M4I
- The Maastricht Multimodal Molecular Imaging Institute
- 6229 ER Maastricht
- The Netherlands
| | - Julie Hamaide
- Bio-Imaging Lab
- University of Antwerp
- 2610 Wilrijk
- Belgium
| | | | - Ron M. A. Heeren
- M4I
- The Maastricht Multimodal Molecular Imaging Institute
- 6229 ER Maastricht
- The Netherlands
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9
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Long-Term Effect of Docosahexaenoic Acid Feeding on Lipid Composition and Brain Fatty Acid-Binding Protein Expression in Rats. Nutrients 2015; 7:8802-17. [PMID: 26506385 PMCID: PMC4632453 DOI: 10.3390/nu7105433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2015] [Revised: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Arachidonic (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) brain accretion is essential for brain development. The impact of DHA-rich maternal diets on offspring brain fatty acid composition has previously been studied up to the weanling stage; however, there has been no follow-up at later stages. Here, we examine the impact of DHA-rich maternal and weaning diets on brain fatty acid composition at weaning and three weeks post-weaning. We report that DHA supplementation during lactation maintains high DHA levels in the brains of pups even when they are fed a DHA-deficient diet for three weeks after weaning. We show that boosting dietary DHA levels for three weeks after weaning compensates for a maternal DHA-deficient diet during lactation. Finally, our data indicate that brain fatty acid binding protein (FABP7), a marker of neural stem cells, is down-regulated in the brains of six-week pups with a high DHA:AA ratio. We propose that elevated levels of DHA in developing brain accelerate brain maturation relative to DHA-deficient brains.
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10
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Liu JJ, Green P, John Mann J, Rapoport SI, Sublette ME. Pathways of polyunsaturated fatty acid utilization: implications for brain function in neuropsychiatric health and disease. Brain Res 2015; 1597:220-46. [PMID: 25498862 PMCID: PMC4339314 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.11.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have profound effects on brain development and function. Abnormalities of PUFA status have been implicated in neuropsychiatric diseases such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Pathophysiologic mechanisms could involve not only suboptimal PUFA intake, but also metabolic and genetic abnormalities, defective hepatic metabolism, and problems with diffusion and transport. This article provides an overview of physiologic factors regulating PUFA utilization, highlighting their relevance to neuropsychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne J Liu
- Department of Molecular Imaging & Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA
| | - Pnina Green
- Laboratory of Metabolic Research, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - J John Mann
- Department of Molecular Imaging & Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stanley I Rapoport
- Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section, Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - M Elizabeth Sublette
- Department of Molecular Imaging & Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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11
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Levant B, Ozias MK, Guilford BL, Wright DE. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes partially attenuates the effects of a high-fat diet on liver and brain fatty acid composition in mice. Lipids 2013; 48:939-48. [PMID: 23893338 DOI: 10.1007/s11745-013-3817-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2013] [Accepted: 07/12/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The current study addresses the effects of a high-fat diet on liver and brain fatty acid compositions and the interaction of that diet with diabetes in a type 1 mouse model. Adult, male, normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic C57BL/6 mice were fed standard (14 % kcal from fat) or high-fat (54 % kcal from fat, hydrogenated vegetable shortening and corn oil) diets for 8 weeks. Liver and whole brain total phospholipid fatty acid compositions were then determined by TLC/GC. In the liver of non-diabetic mice, the high-fat diet increased the percentages of 18:1n-9, 20:4n-6, and 22:5n-6 and decreased 18:2n-6 and 22:6n-3. Diabetes increased 16:0 in liver, and decreased 18:1n-7 and 20:4n-6. The effects of the high-fat diet on liver phospholipids in diabetic mice were similar to those in non-diabetic mice, or were of smaller magnitude. In the brain, the high-fat diet increased 18:0 and 20:4n-6 of non-diabetic, but not diabetic mice. Brain 22:5n-6 acid was increased by the high-fat diet in both non-diabetic and diabetic mice, but this increase was smaller in diabetic mice. Diabetes alone did not alter the percentage of any individual fatty acid in brain. This indicates that the effects of a high-fat diet on liver and brain phospholipid fatty acid compositions are partially attenuated by concomitant hyperglycemia with hypoinsulinemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Levant
- Departments of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Mail Stop 1018, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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12
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Moriguchi T, Harauma A, Salem N. Plasticity of mouse brain docosahexaenoic acid: modulation by diet and age. Lipids 2013; 48:343-55. [PMID: 23460301 DOI: 10.1007/s11745-013-3775-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 02/11/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Decreases in brain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been associated with losses in brain function leading to an interest in the conditions which lead to such brain decreases, and such variables as age. Also of relevance would be the rate of repletion of DHA when the n-3 dietary deficiency is reversed. This experiment describes dietary deficiency in n-3 fatty acids induced in weanling (3 week) and young adult (7 week) mice. There was an immediate and continuous loss of brain DHA with similar rates in the two age groups. Serum DHA declined more rapidly in younger animals with respect to similarly treated adults. Brain and serum docosapentaenoic acid (DPAn-6) increased more rapidly and to higher levels in the younger animals. A second experiment determined the rates of normalization of brain fatty acid profiles when alpha-linolenic acid was added to the diets of n-3 deficient mice. Brain DHA recovery occurred at a faster rate (half-time, T 1/2 = 1.4 weeks) when begun at weaning relative to young adult mice (T 1/2 = 3.5 weeks). Correspondingly, brain DPAn-6 recovered faster in the younger animals; the adult group had a half-time of more than twice that of the 3-week old group. This study therefore demonstrates that the young adult mouse brain DHA is somewhat plastic and can be partially depleted via a low n-3 fatty acid diet and subsequently restored when dietary n-3 fatty acids are repleted. Relevance of these findings for human nutrition is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Moriguchi
- Healthcare Research Institute, Wakunaga Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Hiroshima, Japan
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13
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Figueroa JD, Cordero K, Llán MS, De Leon M. Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids improve the neurolipidome and restore the DHA status while promoting functional recovery after experimental spinal cord injury. J Neurotrauma 2013; 30:853-68. [PMID: 23294084 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2012.2718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) confer multiple health benefits and decrease the risk of neurological disorders. Studies are needed, however, to identify promising cellular targets and to assess their prophylactic value against neurodegeneration. The present study (1) examined the efficacy of a preventive diet enriched with ω-3 PUFAs to reduce dysfunction in a well-established spinal cord injury (SCI) animal model and (2) used a novel metabolomics data analysis to identify potential neurolipidomic targets. Rats were fed with either control chow or chow enriched with ω-3 PUFAs (750 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks before being subjected to a sham or a contusion SCI operation. We report new evidence showing that rats subjected to SCI after being pre-treated with a diet enriched with ω-3 PUFAs exhibit significantly better functional outcomes. Pre-treated animals exhibited lower sensory deficits, autonomic bladder recovery, and early improvements in locomotion that persisted for at least 8 weeks after trauma. We found that SCI triggers a robust alteration in the cord PUFA neurolipidome, which was characterized by a marked docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) deficiency. This DHA deficiency was associated with dysfunction and corrected with the ω-3 PUFA-enriched diet. Multivariate data analyses revealed that the spinal cord of animals consuming the ω-3 PUFA-enriched diet had a fundamentally distinct neurolipidome, particularly increasing the levels of essential and long chain ω-3 fatty acids and lysolipids at the expense of ω-6 fatty acids and its metabolites. Altogether, dietary ω-3 PUFAs prophylaxis confers resiliency to SCI mediated, at least in part, by generating a neuroprotective and restorative neurolipidome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnny D Figueroa
- Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine and Departments of Basic Sciences and Pathology and Human Anatomy, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, USA
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14
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Chen HF, Su HM. Fish oil supplementation of maternal rats on an n-3 fatty acid-deficient diet prevents depletion of maternal brain regional docosahexaenoic acid levels and has a postpartum anxiolytic effect. J Nutr Biochem 2012; 23:299-305. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2010.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2010] [Accepted: 12/20/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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15
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Amaya KR, Sweedler JV, Clayton DF. Small molecule analysis and imaging of fatty acids in the zebra finch song system using time-of-flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry. J Neurochem 2011; 118:499-511. [PMID: 21496023 PMCID: PMC3137756 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2011.07274.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Fatty acids are central to brain metabolism and signaling, but their distributions within complex brain circuits have been difficult to study. Here we applied an emerging technique, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), to image specific fatty acids in a favorable model system for chemical analyses of brain circuits, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). The zebra finch, a songbird, produces complex learned vocalizations under the control of an interconnected set of discrete, dedicated brain nuclei 'song nuclei'. Using ToF-SIMS, the major song nuclei were visualized by virtue of differences in their content of essential and non-essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids (arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) showed distinctive distributions across the song nuclei, and the 18-carbon fatty acids stearate and oleate discriminated the different core and shell subregions of the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium. Principal component analysis of the spectral data set provided further evidence of chemical distinctions between the song nuclei. By analyzing the robust nucleus of the arcopallium at three different ages during juvenile song learning, we obtain the first direct evidence of changes in lipid content that correlate with progression of song learning. The results demonstrate the value of ToF-SIMS to study lipids in a favorable model system for probing the function of lipids in brain organization, development and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kensey R Amaya
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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16
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Su HM. Mechanisms of n-3 fatty acid-mediated development and maintenance of learning memory performance. J Nutr Biochem 2010; 21:364-73. [PMID: 20233652 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2009.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2009] [Revised: 10/29/2009] [Accepted: 11/09/2009] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) is specifically enriched in the brain and mainly anchored in the neuronal membrane, where it is involved in the maintenance of normal neurological function. Most DHA accumulation in the brain takes place during brain development in the perinatal period. However, hippocampal DHA levels decrease with age and in the brain disorder Alzheimer's disease (AD), and this decrease is associated with reduced hippocampal-dependent spatial learning memory ability. A potential mechanism is proposed by which the n-3 fatty acids DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) aid the development and maintenance of spatial learning memory performance. The developing brain or hippocampal neurons can synthesize and take up DHA and incorporate it into membrane phospholipids, especially phosphatidylethanolamine, resulting in enhanced neurite outgrowth, synaptogenesis and neurogenesis. Exposure to n-3 fatty acids enhances synaptic plasticity by increasing long-term potentiation and synaptic protein expression to increase the dendritic spine density, number of c-Fos-positive neurons and neurogenesis in the hippocampus for learning memory processing. In aged rats, n-3 fatty acid supplementation reverses age-related changes and maintains learning memory performance. n-3 fatty acids have anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammation, and anti-apoptosis effects, leading to neuron protection in the aged, damaged, and AD brain. Retinoid signaling may be involved in the effects of DHA on learning memory performance. Estrogen has similar effects to n-3 fatty acids on hippocampal function. It would be interesting to know if there is any interaction between DHA and estrogen so as to provide a better strategy for the development and maintenance of learning memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Min Su
- Department of Physiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
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17
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McNamara RK. Evaluation of docosahexaenoic acid deficiency as a preventable risk factor for recurrent affective disorders: current status, future directions, and dietary recommendations. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2009; 81:223-31. [PMID: 19515544 DOI: 10.1016/j.plefa.2009.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Major recurrent affective disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder, represent a growing public health crisis in the United States. Evidence from cross-national and cross-sectional epidemiological surveys, comparative peripheral and central composition studies, and placebo-controlled intervention trials suggest that n-3 fatty acid deficiency may contribute to the pathoaetiology of affective disorders. These data are reviewed with the objective of estimating a daily docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) intake value that is projected to be efficacious in mitigating vulnerability. It is proposed that daily DHA intake sufficient to increase erythrocyte DHA composition to a level found in healthy subjects from Japan (7%), where the lifetime prevalence rates of MDD and bipolar disorder are several fold lower than the US, represents an appropriate target. To achieve this target, preliminary DHA intervention trials indicate that a daily dose of 400-700 mg/d in children and 700-1000 mg/d in adults would be required. Based on the results of placebo-controlled intervention trials, a higher daily DHA dose in the order of 1000-1500 mg/d in a 2:1 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3):DHA ratio may be optimal for the treatment of established affective disorders. These recommendations are intended to guide future dose-ranging placebo-controlled DHA intervention trials in patients with established affective disorders, as well as in asymptomatic subjects at elevated risk for developing affective disorders. Such early intervention studies are currently feasible and will ultimately be required to definitively evaluate whether DHA is a required nutrient for the prevention of affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K McNamara
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
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18
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McNamara RK, Able J, Jandacek R, Rider T, Tso P. Gender differences in rat erythrocyte and brain docosahexaenoic acid composition: role of ovarian hormones and dietary omega-3 fatty acid composition. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2009; 34:532-9. [PMID: 19046819 PMCID: PMC2692269 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2008] [Revised: 10/14/2008] [Accepted: 10/15/2008] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The two-fold higher prevalence rate of major depression in females may involve vulnerability to omega-3 fatty acid deficiency secondary to a dysregulation in ovarian hormones. However, the role of ovarian hormones in the regulation of brain omega-3 fatty acid composition has not been directly evaluated. Here we determined erythrocyte and regional brain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) composition in intact male and female rats, and in chronically ovariectomized (OVX) rats with or without cyclic estradiol treatment (2 microg/4d). All groups were maintained on diets with or without the DHA precursor alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3). We report that both male (-21%) and OVX (-19%) rats on ALA+ diet exhibited significantly lower erythrocyte DHA composition relative to female controls. Females on ALA+ diet exhibited lower DHA composition in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) relative males (-5%). OVX rats on ALA+ diet exhibited significantly lower DHA composition in the hippocampus (-6%), but not in the PFC, hypothalamus, or midbrain. Lower erythrocyte and hippocampus DHA composition in OVX rats was not prevented by estrogen replacement. All groups maintained on ALA- diet exhibited significantly lower erythrocyte and regional brain DHA composition relative to groups on ALA+ diet, and these reductions were greater in males but not in OVX rats. These preclinical data corroborate clinical evidence for gender differences in peripheral DHA composition (female>male), demonstrate gender differences in PFC DHA composition (male>female), and support a link between ovarian hormones and erythrocyte and region-specific brain DHA composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K. McNamara
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267,Corresponding Author: Robert K. McNamara, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0559, PH: 513-558-5601, FAX: 513-558-2955, E-mail:
| | - Jessica Able
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267
| | - Ronald Jandacek
- Department of Pathology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45237
| | - Therese Rider
- Department of Pathology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45237
| | - Patrick Tso
- Department of Pathology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45237
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McNamara RK, Able J, Liu Y, Jandacek R, Rider T, Tso P, Lipton JW. Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency during perinatal development increases serotonin turnover in the prefrontal cortex and decreases midbrain tryptophan hydroxylase-2 expression in adult female rats: dissociation from estrogenic effects. J Psychiatr Res 2009; 43:656-63. [PMID: 18986658 PMCID: PMC2679262 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2008.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2008] [Revised: 09/22/2008] [Accepted: 09/23/2008] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
A dysregulation in central serotonin neurotransmission and omega-3 fatty acid deficiency have been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depression. To determine the effects of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency on indices of serotonin neurotransmission in the adult rat brain, female rats were fed diets with or without the omega-3 fatty acid precursor alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) during perinatal (E0-P90), post-weaning (P21-P90), and post-pubescent (P60-130) development. Ovariectomized (OVX) rats and OVX rats with cyclic estrogen treatment were also examined. Serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) content, and fatty acid composition were determined in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH-2), serotonin transporter, and 5-HT(1A) autoreceptor mRNA expression were determined in the midbrain. ALA deficiency during perinatal (-62%, p=0.0001), post-weaning (-34%, p=0.0001), and post-pubertal (-10%, p=0.0001) development resulted in a graded reduction in adult PFC docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) composition. Relative to controls, perinatal DHA-deficient rats exhibited significantly lower PFC 5-HT content (-65%, p=0.001), significant greater 5-HIAA content (+15%, p=0.046), and a significant greater 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio (+73%, p=0.001). Conversely, post-weaning DHA-deficient rats exhibited significantly greater PFC 5-HT content (+12%, p=0.03), no change in 5-HIAA content, and a significantly smaller 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio (-9%, p=0.01). Post-pubertal DHA-deficient and OXV rats did not exhibit significant alterations in PFC 5-HT or 5-HIAA content. Only perinatal DHA-deficient rats exhibited a significant reduction in midbrain TPH-2 mRNA expression (-29%, p=0.03). These preclinical data support a causal link between perinatal omega-3 fatty acid deficiency and reduced central serotonin synthesis in adult female rats that is independent of ovarian hormones including estrogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K McNamara
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati OH 45267-0559, United States.
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Levant B, Ozias MK, Davis PF, Winter M, Russell KL, Carlson SE, Reed GA, McCarson KE. Decreased brain docosahexaenoic acid content produces neurobiological effects associated with depression: Interactions with reproductive status in female rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2008; 33:1279-92. [PMID: 18707812 PMCID: PMC2582014 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2007] [Revised: 04/28/2008] [Accepted: 06/11/2008] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Decreased tissue levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) are implicated in the etiologies of non-puerperal and postpartum depression. With the aim of determining neurobiological sequelae of decreased brain DHA content, this study examined the effects of a loss of brain DHA content and concurrent reproductive status in adult female Long-Evans rats. An alpha-linolenic acid-deficient diet and breeding protocols were used to produce virgin and parous female rats with cortical phospholipid DHA levels 23-26% lower than virgin and parous rats fed a control diet containing adequate alpha-linolenic acid. Parous dams were tested/euthanized at weaning (postnatal day 20) of the second litter; virgin females, during diestrus. Decreased brain DHA was associated with decreased hippocampal BDNF gene expression and increased relative corticosterone response to an intense stressor, regardless of reproductive status. In virgin females with decreased brain DHA, serotonin content and turnover in frontal cortex were decreased compared to virgin females with normal brain DHA. In parous dams with decreased brain DHA, the density of 5-HT(1A) receptors in the hippocampus was increased, corticosterone response to an intense stressor was increased, and the latency to immobility in the forced swim test was decreased compared to parous dams with normal DHA. These findings demonstrate neurobiological alterations attributable to decreased brain DHA or an interaction of parous status and brain DHA level. Furthermore, the data are consistent with findings in depressed humans, and thus support a role for DHA as a factor in the etiologies of depressive illnesses, particularly postpartum depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Levant
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
| | - Marlies K. Ozias
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Paul F. Davis
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Michelle Winter
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Kristin L. Russell
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Susan E. Carlson
- Department of Dietetics & Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA,The Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Gregory A. Reed
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
| | - Kenneth E. McCarson
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA,The Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160 USA
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Kuperstein F, Eilam R, Yavin E. Altered expression of key dopaminergic regulatory proteins in the postnatal brain following perinatal n-3 fatty acid dietary deficiency. J Neurochem 2008; 106:662-71. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05418.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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McNamara RK, Sullivan J, Richtand NM. Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency augments amphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization in adult mice: prevention by chronic lithium treatment. J Psychiatr Res 2008; 42:458-68. [PMID: 17628596 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2007.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2006] [Accepted: 05/14/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Emerging data suggests that omega-3 fatty acid deficiency may be a risk factor for bipolar disorder. In the present study, we determined the effects of chronic dietary-induced omega-3 fatty acid deficiency and/or concomitant chronic lithium chloride (LiCl) treatment on amphetamine (AMPH)-induced behavioral sensitization, a phenomenon that may recruit neuroplastic mechanisms relevant to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder. METHOD Adult male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to one four diets: Control (alpha-linolenic-fortified), Control+LiCl (0.255%), alpha-linolenic-Deficient, or Deficient+LiCl (0.255%), and behavioral testing initiated 65 days later. Locomotor activity was determined following 3 intermittent (separated by 7d) injections of amphetamine (AMPH) (1mg/kg). After behavioral testing, red blood cell (RBC) and regional brain (prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, ventral striatum) fatty acid composition was determined by gas chromatography. RESULTS Each diet group exhibited comparable locomotor activity following acute AMPH treatment. However, the development of sensitization following repeated AMPH treatment was significantly augmented in Deficient mice relative to controls, and this augmented response was prevented by chronic LiCl treatment. Relative to controls, Deficient mice exhibited deficits in RBC and regional brain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) composition, reciprocal elevations in vaccenic acid (18:1n-7), arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6), and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, 22:5n-6) compositions, and elevations in AA:DHA, oleic acid:DHA, and DPA:DHA ratios. The fatty acid abnormalities in Deficient mice were not altered by concurrent chronic lithium treatment. Mice fed the Control+LiCl diet exhibited a significant increase in AA composition in RBC and all brain regions, and an elevated AA:DHA ratio in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, relative to Controls. Fatty acid composition in RBC and different brain regions were predominantly positively correlated. Within the ventral striatum, DHA composition was inversely correlated, and AA:DHA and oleic acid:DHA ratios positively correlated, with total distance traveled following the final AMPH treatment. CONCLUSION These data indicate that alterations in fatty acid composition resulting from dietary-induced omega-3 fatty acid deficiency augment the development of AMPH-induced behavioral sensitization in a manner that is prevented by chronic lithium treatment. The implications of these findings for understanding the contribution of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency to the pathophysiology and progression of bipolar disorder are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K McNamara
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, United States.
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Artmann A, Petersen G, Hellgren LI, Boberg J, Skonberg C, Nellemann C, Hansen SH, Hansen HS. Influence of dietary fatty acids on endocannabinoid and N-acylethanolamine levels in rat brain, liver and small intestine. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2008; 1781:200-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2008.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 256] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2007] [Revised: 12/30/2007] [Accepted: 01/23/2008] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Levant B, Ozias MK, Carlson SE. Diet (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid content and parity affect liver and erythrocyte phospholipid fatty acid composition in female rats. J Nutr 2007; 137:2425-30. [PMID: 17951480 DOI: 10.1093/jn/137.11.2425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The fatty acid composition of membrane phospholipids affects the physicochemical properties of the membrane and thus influences cell function. In this study, the effects of 1-4 sequential pregnancies on the phospholipid fatty acid compositions of the maternal liver and erythrocytes were determined in female rats fed diets containing alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), ALA and preformed docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; ALA+DHA), or minimal ALA (low ALA). Virgin females, fed the diets for commensurate durations, served as a control for reproduction. Liver and erythrocyte total phospholipid compositions were determined at weaning by TLC/GC. In both tissues, significant main effects of diet and reproductive status were detected for many fatty acids, but a significant interaction of diet, reproductive status, and duration of treatment (no. of reproductive cycles or equivalent time period for virgins) was detected only for DHA, 22:6(n-3). Primiparous dams fed the ALA and low ALA diet had decreased liver DHA content of 31% and 74%, respectively, compared with virgin females fed the ALA diet. Liver DHA did not decrease further after additional reproductive cycles. Liver DHA content was unchanged in parous dams fed the ALA+DHA diet, but virgin females fed this diet exhibited a 50% increase in liver DHA after 13 wk of treatment. Changes in erythrocyte DHA were of similar magnitude and time course to those observed in liver, suggesting that this tissue may serve as a marker for liver DHA status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Levant
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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McNamara RK, Hahn CG, Jandacek R, Rider T, Tso P, Stanford KE, Richtand NM. Selective deficits in the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid in the postmortem orbitofrontal cortex of patients with major depressive disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2007; 62:17-24. [PMID: 17188654 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2006] [Revised: 08/04/2006] [Accepted: 08/19/2006] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological surveys and peripheral tissue (red blood cells/plasma) fatty acid composition studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acid deficiency is associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) and suicide. It was hypothesized that patients with MDD would exhibit lower frontal cortical concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the principal omega-3 fatty acid in brain, relative to normal controls. METHODS We determined the total fatty acid composition of postmortem orbitofrontal cortex (Brodmann's Area 10) from patients with DSM-IV-defined MDD (n = 15) and age-matched normal controls (n = 27) by gas chromatography. RESULTS After correction for multiple comparisons, the omega-3 fatty acid DHA was the only fatty acid that was significantly different (-22%) in the postmortem orbitofrontal cortex of MDD patients relative to normal controls. Deficits in DHA concentrations were greater in female MDD patients (-32%) than in male MDD patients (-16%), and could not be wholly attributed to lifestyle factors or postmortem tissue variables. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate a selective deficit in the omega-3 fatty acid DHA in the orbitofrontal cortex of patients with MDD. This finding adds to a growing body of evidence implicating omega-3 fatty acid deficiency as well as the orbitofrontal cortex in the pathophysiology and potentially pathogenesis of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K McNamara
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0559, USA.
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26
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McNamara RK, Jandacek R, Rider T, Tso P, Hahn CG, Richtand NM, Stanford KE. Abnormalities in the fatty acid composition of the postmortem orbitofrontal cortex of schizophrenic patients: gender differences and partial normalization with antipsychotic medications. Schizophr Res 2007; 91:37-50. [PMID: 17236749 PMCID: PMC1853256 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2006.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2006] [Revised: 11/28/2006] [Accepted: 11/30/2006] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have observed significant abnormalities in the fatty acid composition of peripheral tissues from drug-naïve first-episode schizophrenic (SZ) patients relative to normal controls, including deficits in omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are partially normalized following chronic antipsychotic treatment. We hypothesized that postmortem cortical tissue from patients with SZ would also exhibit deficits in cortical docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and arachidonic acid (AA; 20:4n-6) relative to normal controls, and that these deficits would be greater in drug-free SZ patients. We determined the total fatty acid composition of postmortem orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) (Brodmann area 10) from drug-free and antipsychotic-treated SZ patients (n=21) and age-matched normal controls (n=26) by gas chromatography. After correction for multiple comparisons, significantly lower DHA (-20%) concentrations, and significantly greater vaccenic acid (VA) (+12.5) concentrations, were found in the OFC of SZ patients relative to normal controls. Relative to age-matched same-gender controls, OFC DHA deficits, and elevated AA:DHA, oleic acid:DHA and docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-6):DHA ratios, were found in male but not female SZ patients. SZ patients that died of cardiovascular-related disease exhibited lower DHA (-31%) and AA (-19%) concentrations, and greater OA (+20%) and VA (+17%) concentrations, relative to normal controls that also died of cardiovascular-related disease. OFC DHA and AA deficits, and elevations in oleic acid and vaccenic acid, were numerically greater in drug-free SZ patients and were partially normalized in SZ patients treated with antipsychotic medications (atypical>typical). Fatty acid abnormalities could not be wholly attributed to lifestyle or postmortem tissue variables. These findings add to a growing body of evidence implicating omega-3 fatty acid deficiency as well as the OFC in the pathoaetiology of SZ, and suggest that abnormalities in OFC fatty acid composition may be gender-specific and partially normalized by antipsychotic medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K McNamara
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0559, United States.
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Kao BT, DePeters EJ, Van Eenennaam AL. Mice raised on milk transgenically enriched with n-3 PUFA have increased brain docosahexaenoic acid. Lipids 2006; 41:543-9. [PMID: 16981432 DOI: 10.1007/s11745-006-5003-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The brain contains high levels of the long-chain n-3 FA DHA (22:6n-3), mainly in the gray matter and synaptosomes. Adequate intake of DHA is crucial for optimal nervous system function, particularly in infants. Supplementation of infant formulas with DHA at levels similar to human breast milk is recommended for biochemical and functional benefits to neonates. We generated transgenic mice that produce elevated levels of n-3 PUFA in their milk by expressing the Caenorhabditis elegans n-3 FA desaturase under the control of a lactation-induced goat beta-casein promoter. To examine the postnatal effects of consuming the n-3-enriched milk, we compared the growth and brain and plasma FA composition of mouse pups raised on milk from transgenic dams with those observed for pups raised on milk from nontransgenic dams. A significant decrease in arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6) and concomitant increases in n-3 PUFA were observed in the phospholipid fraction of transgenic mouse milk. The n-6:n-3 FA ratios were 4.7 and 34.5 for the transgenic and control milk phospholipid fractions, respectively. DHA and DPA (22:5n-6) comprised 15.1% and 2.8% of brain FA from weanling mice nursed on transgenic dams, as compared with 6.9% and 9.2% for weanling mice nursed on control dams, respectively. This transgenic mouse model offers a unique approach to disassociate the effects and fetal programming resulting from a high n-6:n-3 FA ratio gestational environment from the postnatal nutritional effects of providing milk with differing n-6:n-3 FA ratios.
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MESH Headings
- Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
- Animals
- Animals, Suckling
- Body Weight
- Brain Chemistry/drug effects
- Docosahexaenoic Acids/analysis
- Fatty Acids/blood
- Fatty Acids, Omega-3/biosynthesis
- Fatty Acids, Omega-3/blood
- Fatty Acids, Omega-3/pharmacology
- Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/blood
- Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/pharmacology
- Female
- Lactation/genetics
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Inbred DBA
- Mice, Transgenic
- Milk/chemistry
- Models, Biological
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth T Kao
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Levant B, Ozias MK, Jones KA, Carlson SE. Differential effects of modulation of docosahexaenoic acid content during development in specific regions of rat brain. Lipids 2006; 41:407-14. [PMID: 16933785 DOI: 10.1007/s11745-006-5114-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Variation in brain FA composition, particularly decreased DHA (22:6n-3), affects neurodevelopment, altering visual, attentional, and cognitive functions, and is implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders. To further understand how specific brain processes and systems are affected by variation in brain DHA content, we sought to determine whether specific brain regions were differentially affected by treatments that alter brain DHA content. Adult male Long-Evans rats were raised from conception using diet/breeding treatments to produce four groups with distinct brain phospholipid compositions. Total phospholipid FA composition was determined in whole brain and 15 brain regions by TLC/GC. Brain regions exhibited significantly different DHA contents, with the highest levels observed in the frontal cortex and the lowest in the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area. Increased availability of DHA resulted in increased DHA content only in the olfactory bulb, parietal cortex, and substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area. In contrast, treatment that decreased whole-brain DHA levels decreased DHA content in all brain regions except the thalamus, dorsal midbrain, and the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area. Alterations in DHA level were accompanied by changes in docosapentaenoic acid (n-6 DPA, 22:5n-6) content; however, the change in DHA and n-6 DPA was nonreciprocal in some brain regions. These findings demonstrate that the FA compositions of specific brain regions are differentially affected by variation in DHA availability during development. These differential effects may contribute to the specific neurochemical and behavioral effects observed in animals with variation in brain DHA content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Levant
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA.
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Levant B, Radel JD, Carlson SE. Reduced brain DHA content after a single reproductive cycle in female rats fed a diet deficient in N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Biol Psychiatry 2006; 60:987-90. [PMID: 16499882 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2005] [Revised: 11/29/2005] [Accepted: 12/15/2005] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low levels of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n3), are implicated in postpartum depression. METHODS The effects of pregnancy and lactation on brain phospholipid fatty acid content were determined in female rats fed diets containing sufficient (control) or negligible (deficient) alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3), the dietary precursor of DHA, beginning at conception. Female virgins, fed the diets for 6 weeks, served as control animals. Whole brain total phospholipid composition was determined at weaning by GC. RESULTS Brain DHA content of postpartum dams fed the deficient diet was decreased by 21% compared with age-matched virgin control animals, with a reciprocal increase in docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n6) to 243%. CONCLUSIONS Under dietary conditions supplying inadequate n-3 PUFAs, maternal brain DHA content can be reduced after a single reproductive cycle. This depletion may affect neuronal function and thus the sensitivity of the postpartum organism to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Levant
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA.
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McNamara RK, Carlson SE. Role of omega-3 fatty acids in brain development and function: potential implications for the pathogenesis and prevention of psychopathology. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2006; 75:329-49. [PMID: 16949263 DOI: 10.1016/j.plefa.2006.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 328] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The principle omega-3 fatty acid in brain, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), accumulates in the brain during perinatal cortical expansion and maturation. Animal studies have demonstrated that reductions in perinatal brain DHA accrual are associated with deficits in neuronal arborization, multiple indices of synaptic pathology including deficits in serotonin and mesocorticolimbic dopamine neurotransmission, neurocognitive deficits, and elevated behavioral indices of anxiety, aggression, and depression. In primates and humans, preterm delivery is associated with deficits in fetal cortical DHA accrual, and children/adolescents born preterm exhibit deficits in cortical gray matter maturation, neurocognitive deficits particularly in the realm of attention, and increased risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia. Individuals diagnosed with ADHD or schizophrenia exhibit deficits in cortical gray matter maturation, and medications found to be efficacious in the treatment of these disorders increase cortical and striatal dopamine neurotransmission. These associations in conjunction with intervention trials showing enhanced cortical visual acuity and cognitive outcomes in preterm and term infants fed DHA, suggest that perinatal deficits in brain DHA accrual may represent a preventable neurodevelopmental risk factor for the subsequent emergence of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K McNamara
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0559, USA.
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Levant B, Ozias MK, Carlson SE. Diet (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid content and parity interact to alter maternal rat brain phospholipid fatty acid composition. J Nutr 2006; 136:2236-42. [PMID: 16857847 DOI: 10.1093/jn/136.8.2236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Low tissue levels of (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly docosahexaenoic acid [DHA, 22:6(n-3)], are implicated in postpartum depression. The effects of 1-4 sequential reproductive cycles on maternal brain phospholipid fatty acid composition were determined in female rats fed diets containing alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), containing ALA and pre-formed DHA (ALA+DHA), or lacking ALA (low-ALA). Virgin females, fed the diets for commensurate durations served as a control for reproduction. Whole-brain total phospholipid composition was determined at weaning by TLC/GC. A single reproductive cycle on the low-ALA diet decreased brain DHA content by 18% compared to ALA primiparas (P < 0.05), accompanied by incorporation of docosapentaenoic acid ((n-6) DPA, 22:5(n-6)) to 280% of ALA primiparas (P < 0.05). DHA was not further decreased after subsequent cycles; however, there was an additional increase in (n-6) DPA after the second cycle (P < 0.05). Brain DHA of virgin females fed the low-ALA diet for 27 wk decreased 15% (P < 0.05), but was accompanied by a more modest increase in (n-6) DPA than in parous low-ALA dams (P < 0.05). Virgin females and parous dams fed the diet containing ALA+DHA exhibited only minor changes in brain fatty acid composition. These observations demonstrate that brain DHA content of adult animals is vulnerable to depletion under dietary conditions that supply inadequate (n-3) PUFAs, that this effect is augmented by the physiological demands of pregnancy and lactation, and that maternal diet and parity interact to affect maternal brain PUFA status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Levant
- The Smith Mental Retardation Research Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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Zhou D, Ghebremeskel K, Crawford MA, Reifen R. Vitamin A deficiency enhances docosahexaenoic and Osbond acids in liver of rats fed an α-linoleic acid-adequate diet. Lipids 2006; 41:213-9. [PMID: 16711595 DOI: 10.1007/s11745-006-5090-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The synthesis of docosahexaenoic (DHA, 22:6n-3) and Osbond acid (OA, 22:5n-6) is regulated by the heterodimer of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and retinoid X receptor (RXR). 9-Cis retinoic acid, a metabolite of vitamin A, is the most potent ligand of RXR. We tested whether vitamin A deficiency impairs DHA and OA synthesis in rats fed a vitamin A- and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)-sufficient (VASALAS), vitamin A-sufficient and ALA-deficient (VASALAD), vitamin A-deficient and ALA-sufficient (VADALAS), or vitamin A- and ALA-deficient (VADALAD) diet. After 7 wk of feeding, liver and colon choline (CPG) and ethanolamine (EPG) phosphoglyceride FA were analyzed. The VADALAS compared with the VASALAS rats had elevated levels of both DHA (P< 0.05) and OA (P < 0.005) in liver CPG and EPG. In contrast, the VADALAD group had a lower DHA (P < 0.01) and higher OA (P < 0.005) level in CPG and EPG of both tissues than their VASALAD counterparts. ALA deficiency reduced DHA and enhariced OA levels in liver and colon CPG and EPG in both the vitamin A-sufficient (VASALAS vs. VASALAD) and -deficient (VADALAS vs. VADALAD) rats (P < 0.005). The study demonstrates that ALA deficiency reduced DHA and enhanced OA levels in tissue membranes, and dietary vitamin A deficiency has a profound effect on membrane DHA and OA in rat tissues. Both vitamin A and DHA are involved in a myriad of vital physiological functions pertaining to growth and development and health. Hence, there is a need for a further study to unravel the mechanism by which vitamin A influences membrane DHA and OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Zhou
- Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, London Metropolitan University, London, United Kingdom.
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Bourre JM, Dumont O, Clément M. Fatty acid alterations in liver peroxisomes from n-3-deficient mice. ANNALS OF NUTRITION AND METABOLISM 2006; 50:214-8. [PMID: 16407648 DOI: 10.1159/000090764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2005] [Accepted: 09/12/2005] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A diet deficient in n-3 fatty acids dramatically reduces docosahexaenoic acid (4.8-fold) and 20:5n-3 content in murine total peroxisomal phospholipids, and conversely increases 22:5n-6 (17.1-fold) and also, to a lesser extent, 20:4n-6. This was also found in purified phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. After changing the non-deficient diet (containing alpha-linolenic acid, ALA) to a deficient one (deficient in ALA), it took a very long time for docosahexaenoic acid concentration in peroxisomes to decline (>5 months). In contrast, after changing the deficient to a non-deficient diet, time to complete recovery was more rapid (3 weeks). Changes in 20:5n-3, 22:6n-3 and 20:4n-6 were generally stabilized within 2-4 weeks. Dietary n-3 fatty acids control the fatty acid composition of peroxisomal membranes, and thus possibly affect some of their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Marie Bourre
- INSERM U705, CNRS UMR 7157, Universités Paris 7 et 5, Hôpital Fernand Widal, Paris, France.
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Enzymes for transgenic biosynthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Biochimie 2005; 86:793-8. [PMID: 15589688 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2004.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2004] [Accepted: 09/27/2004] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are important for the normal development and function of all organisms, and are essential in maintaining human health. Impaired PUFA metabolism is thought to be associated with pathogenesis of many chronic diseases. Dietary supplementation of PUFAs, such as gamma-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid, which bypass the defective or dysfunctional steps of the biosynthetic pathway has been found to significantly alleviate the symptoms of the disease. These findings have drawn a great deal of interest from general public and food manufacturers. As the demand of these beneficial PUFAs has drastically increased in recent years, there are also increasing efforts in finding the alternate sources of PUFAs that are more economical and sustainable. One option is to modify the oil-seed crops to produce PUFAs through genetic engineering technique. This review examines the isolation, identification and expression of genes encoding the enzymes required for the biosynthesis of the above mentioned PUFAs in plants.
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García-Calatayud S, Redondo C, Martín E, Ruiz JI, García-Fuentes M, Sanjurjo P. Brain docosahexaenoic acid status and learning in young rats submitted to dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency and supplementation limited to lactation. Pediatr Res 2005; 57:719-23. [PMID: 15718358 DOI: 10.1203/01.pdr.0000156506.03057.ad] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
N-3 fatty acid deficiency has been related to decreased docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and increased docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) levels in brain and to learning disadvantages. The influence of n-3 deficiency and supplementation on brain fatty acids and learning were investigated in young rats. Newborn Wistar rats were assigned to three groups of cross-foster mothers. The control group (C) was nursed by mothers that received essential fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation, and the deficient group (D) was nursed by mothers that did not receive those fatty acids. The supplemental group (S) had the same conditions as D, receiving an additional DHA and arachidonic acid supplement during lactation. Cerebral cortex and hippocampus fatty acid composition was examined using thin-layer and capillary column gas chromatography, and learning was measured by passive-avoidance procedure. D brains showed low DHA and high DPA levels, but S brain composition was similar to C. Learning in the S group was unaffected, but in the D group, it was poorer than C. Learning was directly correlated with DHA levels and inversely with DPA levels in brain. Low DHA and high DPA brain levels both were correlated with poor learning. DPA seems not to be a suitable brain functional analogue of DHA, and DHA supplementation reversed both biochemical and learning adverse effects observed in n-3 deficiency.
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Abstract
Human neurodevelopment is the result of genetic and environmental interactions. This paper examines the role of prenatal nutrition relative to psychiatric disorders and explores the relationship among nutrients, mood changes, and mood disorders. Epidemiologic studies have found that adults who were born with a normal, yet low birth weight have an increased susceptibility to diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and stroke in adulthood. Prenatal caloric malnutrition, low birth weight, and prematurity also increase the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, schizophrenia, affective disorders, and schizoid and antisocial personality disorders. Placebo-controlled studies in medicated patients suggest that add-on treatment with omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid, may ameliorate symptoms of major depressive disorder. Additional studies are necessary to confirm any benefits for bipolar disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina C Casper
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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DeMar JC, Ma K, Bell JM, Rapoport SI. Half-lives of docosahexaenoic acid in rat brain phospholipids are prolonged by 15 weeks of nutritional deprivation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. J Neurochem 2004; 91:1125-37. [PMID: 15569256 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2004.02789.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Male rat pups (21 days old) were placed on a diet deficient in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) or on an n-3 PUFA adequate diet containing alpha-linolenic acid (alpha-LNA; 18 : 3n-3). After 15 weeks on a diet, [4,5-3H]docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22 : 6n-3) was injected into the right lateral cerebral ventricle, and the rats were killed at fixed times over a period of 60 days. Compared with the adequate diet, 15 weeks of n-3 PUFA deprivation reduced plasma DHA by 89% and brain DHA by 37%; these DHA concentrations did not change thereafter. In the n-3 PUFA adequate rats, DHA loss half-lives, calculated by plotting log10 (DHA radioactivity) against time after tracer injection, equaled 33 days in total brain phospholipid, 23 days in phosphatidylcholine, 32 days in phosphatidylethanolamine, 24 days in phosphatidylinositol and 58 days in phosphatidylserine; all had a decay slope significantly greater than 0 (p < 0.05). In the n-3 PUFA deprived rats, these half-lives were prolonged twofold or greater, and calculated rates of DHA loss from brain, Jout, were reduced. Mechanisms must exist in the adult rat brain to minimize DHA metabolic loss, and to do so even more effectively in the face of reduced n-3 PUFA availability for only 15 weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C DeMar
- Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1582, USA.
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KAWAHARA S, TAKENOYAMA SI, NAGATO C, MUGURUMA M, ITO T, YAMAUCHI K. Evaluation of beef tallow as a natural source of conjugated linoleic acid. Anim Sci J 2002. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1344-3941.2002.00073.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Kitajka K, Puskás LG, Zvara A, Hackler L, Barceló-Coblijn G, Yeo YK, Farkas T. The role of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in brain: modulation of rat brain gene expression by dietary n-3 fatty acids. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2002; 99:2619-24. [PMID: 11880617 PMCID: PMC122397 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.042698699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 237] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rats were fed either a high linolenic acid (perilla oil) or high eicosapentaenoic + docosahexaenoic acid (fish oil) diet (8%), and the fatty acid and molecular species composition of ethanolamine phosphoglycerides was determined. Gene expression pattern resulting from the feeding of n-3 fatty acids also was studied. Perilla oil feeding, in contrast to fish oil feeding, was not reflected in total fatty acid composition of ethanolamine phosphoglycerides. Levels of the alkenylacyl subclass of ethanolamine phosphoglycerides increased in response to feeding. Similarly, levels of diacyl phosphatidylethanolamine molecular species containing docosahexaenoic acid (18:0/22:6) were higher in perilla-fed or fish oil-fed rat brains whereas those in ethanolamine plasmalogens remained unchanged. Because plasmalogen levels in the brains of rats fed a n-3 fatty acid-enriched diet increased, it is plausible, however, that docosahexaenoic acid taken up from the food or formed from linolenic acid was deposited in this phospholipid subclass. Using cDNA microarrays, 55 genes were found to be overexpressed and 47 were suppressed relative to controls by both dietary regimens. The altered genes included those controlling synaptic plasticity, cytosceleton and membrane association, signal transduction, ion channel formation, energy metabolism, and regulatory proteins. This effect seems to be independent of the chain length of fatty acids, but the n-3 structure appears to be important. Because n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been shown to play an important role in maintaining normal mental functions and docosahexaenoic acid-containing ethanolamine phosphoglyceride (18:0/22:6) molecular species accumulated in response to n-3 fatty acid feeding, a casual relationship between the two events can be surmised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klára Kitajka
- Institute of Biochemistry, and DNA-Chip Laboratory, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 521, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary
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40
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Greiner RS, Moriguchi T, Slotnick BM, Hutton A, Salem N. Olfactory discrimination deficits in n-3 fatty acid-deficient rats. Physiol Behav 2001; 72:379-85. [PMID: 11274681 DOI: 10.1016/s0031-9384(00)00437-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a long chain n-3 fatty acid, is present in high concentrations in the central nervous system. Although the role that DHA may play in neural function is not well understood, infants fed formulas containing low levels of n-3 fatty acids have decreased visual acuity and neurodevelopmental test scores. The present experiment assessed whether dietary manipulations that decrease the concentration of DHA in the brain interfered with olfactory-based learning. We fed rats a diet that provided adequate n-3 fatty acids or a diet that was deficient in n-3 fatty acids for two generations. The second generation n-3-deficient group had 81% less brain DHA (82% less in olfactory bulb) compared to the n-3-adequate group and made significantly more errors in a series of olfactory-cued, 2-odor discrimination tasks compared to the adequate group. These results suggest that lower levels of central nervous system DHA lead to poorer performance in a series of simple odor discrimination tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- R S Greiner
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism/NIH, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, 12420 Parklawn Drive, Park V Building/Room 158, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
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41
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Youdim KA, Martin A, Joseph JA. Essential fatty acids and the brain: possible health implications. Int J Dev Neurosci 2000; 18:383-99. [PMID: 10817922 DOI: 10.1016/s0736-5748(00)00013-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 350] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid are essential for normal cellular function, and act as precursors for the synthesis of longer chained polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as arachidonic (AA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA), which have been shown to partake in numerous cellular functions affecting membrane fluidity, membrane enzyme activities and eicosanoid synthesis. The brain is particularly rich in PUFAs such as DHA, and changes in tissue membrane composition of these PUFAs reflect that of the dietary source. The decline in structural and functional integrity of this tissue appears to correlate with loss in membrane DHA concentrations. Arachidonic acid, also predominant in this tissue, is a major precursor for the synthesis of eicosanoids, that serve as intracellular or extracellular signals. With aging comes a likely increase in reactive oxygen species and hence a concomitant decline in membrane PUFA concentrations, and with it, cognitive impairment. Neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease also appear to exhibit membrane loss of PUFAs. Thus it may be that an optimal diet with a balance of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids may help to delay their onset or reduce the insult to brain functions which these diseases elicit.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Youdim
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, United States Department of Agriculture, Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
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Martin RE, Wickham JQ, Om AS, Sanders J, Ceballos N. Uptake and incorporation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) into neuronal cell body and neurite/nerve growth cone lipids: evidence of compartmental DHA metabolism in nerve growth factor-differentiated PC12 cells. Neurochem Res 2000; 25:715-23. [PMID: 10905634 DOI: 10.1023/a:1007575406896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) accumulates in nerve endings of the brain during development. It is released from the membrane during ischemia and electroconvulsive shock. DHA optimizes neurologic development, it is neuroprotective, and rat adrenopheochromocytoma (PC12) cells have decreased PLA2 activity when DHA is present. To characterize DHA metabolism in PC12 cells, media were supplemented with [3H]DHA or [3H]glycerol. Fractions of nerve growth cone particles (NGC) and cell bodies were prepared and the metabolism of the radiolabeled substrates was determined by thin-layer chromatography. [3H]glycerol incorporation into phospholipids indicated de novo lipid synthesis. [3H]DHA uptake was more rapid in the cell bodies than in the NGC. [3H]DHA first esterified in neutral lipids and later in phospholipids (phosphatidylethanolamine). [3H]glycerol primarily labeled phosphatidylcholine. DHA uptake was compartmentalized between the cell body and the NGC. With metabolism similar to that seen in vivo, PC12 cells are an appropriate model to study DHA in neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- R E Martin
- Department of Cell Biology and Oklahoma Center for Neurosciences University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City 73104, USA.
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Ward GR, Huang YS, Xing HC, Bobik E, Wauben I, Auestad N, Montalto M, Wainwright PE. Effects of gamma-linolenic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in formulae on brain fatty acid composition in artificially reared rats. Lipids 1999; 34:1057-63. [PMID: 10580333 DOI: 10.1007/s11745-999-0457-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with gamma-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) on the fatty acid composition of the neonatal brain in gastrostomized rat pups reared artificially from days 5-18. These pups were fed rat milk substitutes containing fats that provided 10% linoleic acid and 1% alpha-linolenic acid (% fatty acids) and, using a 2x3 factorial design, one of two levels of DHA (0.5 and 2.5%), and one of three levels of GLA (0.5, 1.0, and 3.0%). A seventh artificially reared group served as a reference group and was fed 0.5% DHA and 0.5% arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6); these levels are within the range of those found in rat milk. The eighth group, the suckled control group, was reared by nursing dams fed a standard American Institute of Nutrition 93M chow. The fatty acid composition of the phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylinositol membrane fractions of the forebrain on day 18 reflected the dietary composition in that high levels of dietary DHA resulted in increases in DHA but decreases in 22:4n-6 and 22:5n-6 in brain. High levels of GLA increased 22:4n-6 but, in contrast to previous findings with high levels of AA, did not decrease levels of DHA. These results suggest that dietary GLA, during development, differs from high dietary levels of AA in that it does not lead to reductions in brain DHA.
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Affiliation(s)
- G R Ward
- Department of Health Studies and Gerontology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
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44
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Bourre JM, Durand G, Erre JP, Aran JM. Changes in auditory brainstem responses in alpha-linolenic acid deficiency as a function of age in rats. AUDIOLOGY : OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF AUDIOLOGY 1999; 38:13-8. [PMID: 10052831 DOI: 10.3109/00206099909072997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) to click stimuli have been compared in young (21-day-old), adult (6-month-old), and old (18-month-old) rats fed a normal (Arachid-Colza) or an alpha-linolenic acid deficient (Arachid only) diet. Wave I amplitude and latency did not show any significant change with either age or diet. However, wave III showed a progressive decrease in amplitude and latency from young to adult and from adult to old rats having a normal diet. With alpha-linolenic acid deficiency, wave III amplitude and latency values decreased faster than in the normal diet control groups. Although final values in the old groups with the two diets were similar, with alpha-linolenic acid deficiency values for wave III decreased to this final level in the adult group. These data indicate that the central auditory nervous system ages faster, or earlier, with a fatty acid deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Bourre
- INSERM U 26, Hôpital Fernand, Vidal, Paris, France
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45
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Abstract
The degree to which fatty acids modulate brain function beyond periods of rapid brain growth is poorly understood. Nevertheless, recent evidence suggests that dietary fatty acid composition influences numerous behaviors including body temperature regulation, pain sensitivity, feeding behavior including macronutrient selection, and cognitive performance. Importantly, alterations are observed in the absence of essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency, beyond periods of rapid brain development, and at levels similar to those consumed by the North American population. Data suggest that the content of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), and not that of the EFAs, may be the important component of dietary fat mediating macronutrient selection and cognition under these experimental conditions. Yet, a direct role of SFAs in modulating brain functions has not been elucidated. A discussion of potential mechanisms which may directly involve the central nervous system, or may indirectly influence central processes via peripheral pathway(s) is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Kaplan
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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46
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Greiner RC, Winter J, Nathanielsz PW, Brenna JT. Brain docosahexaenoate accretion in fetal baboons: bioequivalence of dietary alpha-linolenic and docosahexaenoic acids. Pediatr Res 1997; 42:826-34. [PMID: 9396565 DOI: 10.1203/00006450-199712000-00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The dietary bioequivalence during the brain growth spurt of alpha-linolenic (LNA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) as substrates for brain and retinal n-3 fatty acid accretion is reported for the fetal baboons, whose mothers consumed a long chain polyunsaturate-free diet with a n-6/n-3 ratio of 10:1. Pregnant baboons received i.v. doses of U-13C-labeled fatty acids (LNA or DHA), plasma was collected from mother and fetus, and fetal brain (occipital cortex), retina, and liver were analyzed at various times post-dose. Fetal brain DHA plateaued 15-35 d post-dose with 1.6% of the preformed [U-13C-]DHA dose recovered in the brain. In contrast, LNA-derived DHA accretion also plateaued but was 20-fold lower. Liver and retinal results were of the same order of magnitude, but showed evidence of peaks and decline. Conversion products to n-3 long chain polyunsaturate were observed in the maternal circulation at 1 h after administration, as was transfer of both fatty acids to the fetus. From these measurements we estimate that a dietary level of about 0.45% of energy as LNA is sufficient to meet the requirements of the growing fetal brain, whereas 0.03% of energy as DHA would suffice. These data are the first direct measurements of the bioequivalence of DHA and LNA in developing primates and imply that n-3 fatty acid requirements for the developing fetal brain can be met by attainable dietary LNA for diets low in long chain polyunsaturates.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Greiner
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
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47
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Phospholipid biosynthesis in health and disease. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1997. [DOI: 10.1016/s1874-5245(97)80005-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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48
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Su HM, Keswick LA, Brenna JT. Increasing dietary linoleic acid in young rats increases and then decreases docosahexaenoic acid in retina but not in brain. Lipids 1996; 31:1289-98. [PMID: 8972463 DOI: 10.1007/bf02587915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of fatty acids in retina, brain, liver, and plasma of 30-day-old rat pups consuming various levels of linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n-6) and constant alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) is reported. Dams were fed graded levels of LA during gestation and lactation, and the pups were maintained on the diet of their dams until the end of the brain growth spurt at 30 d of life. Milk, and pup brain, retina, liver, and plasma were analyzed quantitatively for fatty acid profile. The percentage of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) in retina increased from an LA-deficient dietary level, peaked at the 9:1 (LA/ALA) level, then fell for the 41:1 and 69:1 levels. In contrast, the brain DHA percentage was unaffected by dietary LA levels. Retinal unsaturated fatty acid levels paralleled liver and plasma levels. The milk fatty acid composition mirrored the diets. These data show that the retinal fatty acid composition responds sensitively to dietary fatty acid composition, similar to liver and plasma, while the brain unsaturate composition is nearly independent of dietary composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- H M Su
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
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49
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McGee CD, Lieberman P, Greenwood CE. Dietary fatty acid composition induces comparable changes in cardiolipin fatty acid profile of heart and brain mitochondria. Lipids 1996; 31:611-6. [PMID: 8784741 DOI: 10.1007/bf02523831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The fatty acid profile of cardiolipin (CL) from brain and cardiac mitochondria was measured to determine whether CL isolated from these two tissue sources responded similarly to alterations in dietary fat composition. Male Wistar rats were fed 20% (w/w) diets containing 2 to 12% (w/w) 18:2n-6 for four weeks. Despite higher baseline levels of CL 18:2n-6 in cardiac (54 +/- 1% of total fatty acids) compared to brain (13 +/- 1%) mitochondria, CL 18:2n-6 levels increased in proportion to dietary 18:2 levels. The degree of change in 18:2n-6 was comparable with both tissues showing an approximate 1.5- to 2-fold increase. The time course of changes in CL fatty acid profile was examined in a subsequent experiment in which animals were fed 20% (w/w) fat diets containing either 3 or 15% alpha-linoleate. Changes in cardiac CL 18:1, 18:2n-6, and 22:6n-3 levels were observed within one week of feeding. While statistically significant differences were not observed in brain CL until the second week of feeding, the time course did not differ substantively from that observed in heart. The results from this study suggest that while baseline fatty acid profile of cardiac and neural CL differ, mitochondria from both tissues show comparable sensitivity to changes in dietary fat composition. Furthermore, it would appear that the turnover rate of fatty acids in CL is similar in both tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- C D McGee
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Suárez A, Faus MJ, Gil A. Dietary supplementation with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids increases susceptibility of weanling rat tissue lipids to in vitro lipid peroxidation. J Nutr Biochem 1996. [DOI: 10.1016/0955-2863(96)00023-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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