title: Suppression of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced photoreceptor apoptosis in rats by docosahexaenoic acid.
abstract: We evaluated the effects of dietary intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on photoreceptor cell apoptosis caused by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). Five-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed basal diet (AIN-76A) or DHA diet (modified AIN-76A containing 9.5% DHA) for 2 weeks, and then received a single intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg body weight MNU at 50 days of age. Then, rats continued to receive the same diet or were switched to the opposite diet: group 1, basal diet before and after MNU injection; group 2, DHA diet before MNU injection and basal diet after MNU injection; group 3, basal diet before MNU injection and DHA diet after MNU injection; group 4, DHA diet before and after MNU injection (10 rats in each group). Rats were starved for 24 h, then sacrificed 3 or 7 days after MNU. Morphologically, at 3 days after MNU injection, photoreceptor cell apoptosis was advanced in group 1 compared with group 4. At this time point, as evaluated by retinal damage ratio [(length of retina less than 4 photoreceptor cells thick/whole retinal length) x100], retinal damage was highest in group 1 (82.4 +/- 5.1%), followed by group 2 (41.1 +/- 7.3%), group 3 (24.7 +/- 11.5%), and group 4 (6.6 +/- 6.6%); severity tended to be inversely correlated with serum DHA composition. At 7 days after MNU injection, active signs of photoreceptor cell apoptosis ended in all MNU-treated groups, and retinal damage ratio was high in group 1 (88.4 +/- 2.8%), whereas it remained low in groups 2, 3 and 4 (38.4 +/- 15.2, 45.7 +/- 9.8 and 46.9 +/- 11.2%, respectively). High DHA composition during induction/signaling phase and/or effector phase of photoreceptor cell apoptosis can delay the onset of apoptosis and counteract progression of MNU retinotoxicity in rat retina. DHA may play a role in the suppression of MNU-induced photoreceptor cell apoptosis in rat retina.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology II, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moriguchi
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshizawa
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shikata
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yuri
authors.forename: Hideho
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takada
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hada
authors.forename: Airo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsubura
mesh_terms: D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002470:Cell Survival; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008770:Methylnitrosourea / Q000633:toxicity; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000477:Alkylating Agents; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D008770:Methylnitrosourea