title: Dietary enrichment with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reverses age-related decreases in the GluR2 and NR2B glutamate receptor subunits in rat forebrain.
abstract: Ageing is associated with a decrease in the brain content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and with decreased neuroplasticity. The glutamate receptor subunits GluR2 and NR2B play a significant role in forebrain synaptic plasticity. We investigated GluR2 and NR2B in the aged prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum, and tested if treatment with a preparation containing EPA and DHA can reverse age-related changes. The study compared adult and old (3-4 and 24-26 month) rats, and the latter were fed a standard diet or a diet supplemented for 12 weeks with omega-3 PUFA at 270mg/kg/day (ratio EPA to DHA 1.5:1). Ageing was associated with decreases in the GluR2 and NR2B subunits in all structures. These decreases were fully reversed by omega-3 PUFA supplementation. Age-related changes in the phospholipid PUFA content were also seen. Decreases in DHA were mostly corrected by supplementation. This study supports the neuroprotective effect of omega-3 fatty acids in brain ageing, and illustrates specific mechanisms underlying this effect.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Centre, Institute of Cell and Molecular Sciences, St. Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London, Whitechapel, London, United Kingdom. s.c.dyall@qmul.ac.uk
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Dyall
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Michael
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Whelpton
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Michael-Titus
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000378:metabolism; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000378:metabolism; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; C121001:NR2B NMDA receptor; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C483858:phosphatidylethanolamine; C104722:glutamate receptor ionotropic, AMPA 2