title: Potential role of dietary omega-3 essential fatty acids on some oxidant/antioxidant parameters in rats' corpus striatum.
abstract: Omega-3 (omega-3) is an essential fatty acid (EFA) found in large amounts in fish oil. It contains eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is one of the building structures of membrane phospholipids of brain and necessary for continuity of neuronal functions. Evidences support the hypothesis that schizophrenia may be the result of increased reactive oxygen species mediated neuronal injury. Recent reports also suggest the protective effect of omega-3 EFA against neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. This study proposed to assess the changes in antioxidant enzyme and oxidant parameters in the corpus striatum (CS) of rats fed with omega-3 EFA diet (0.4g/kg/day) for 30 days. Eight control rats and nine rats fed with omega-3 were decapitated under ether anesthesia, and CS was removed immediately. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and nitric oxide (NO) levels as well as total superoxide dismutase (t-SOD) and xanthine oxidase (XO) enzyme activities in the CS were measured. Rats treated with omega-3 EFA had significantly lower values of TBARS (P<0.001), NO (P<0.002) and XO (P<0.005) whereas higher values of t-SOD enzyme activity (P<0.002) than the control rats. These results indicate that omega-3 EFA rich fish oil diet reduces some oxidant parameters in CS. This may be revealed by means of reduced CS TBARS levels as an end product of lipid peroxidation of membranes in treated rats. Additionally, reduced XO activity and NO levels may support this notion. On the other hand, although the mechanism is not clear, omega-3 EFA may indirectly enhance the activity of antioxidant enzyme t-SOD. Taken together, this preliminary animal study provides strong support for a therapeutic effect of omega-3 EFA supplemented to classical neuroleptic regimen in the treatment of schizophrenic symptoms and tardive dyskinesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University, Dekanlik Binasi, Elaziğ, Turkey. msarsilmaz@firat.edu.tr
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarsilmaz
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Songur
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozyurt
authors.forename: Ilter
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kuş
authors.forename: Oğuz Aslan
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Ozen
authors.forename: Birsen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozyurt
authors.forename: Sadik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Söğüt
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akyol
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000494:pharmacology; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D016877:Oxidants; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D051381:Rats; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000032:analysis; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D016877:Oxidants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase