The role of docosahexaenoic acid on visual evoked potentials in one kidney-one clip hypertension.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on visual evoked potentials (VEPs) in a one kidney-one clip (1K-1C) hypertension model in rats.


METHODS
Five experimental groups were formed: a control group, a sham group, a group supplemented with DHA, a 1K-1C group, and a 1K-1C + DHA group. The DHA groups were treated for 60 days. In the 1K-1C groups, the right kidney was removed and a silver clip with a 0.2-mm gap was placed on the left renal artery.


RESULTS
The DHA-supplemented rats had lower blood pressure than their respective controls (p < 0.01). The increased brain and retina thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels in hypertensive rats were abolished by DHA administration. The brain nitrite levels were lower in the DHA, 1K-1C and 1K-1C + DHA groups compared with the control group (p < 0.01), and the retina nitrite level was higher in the 1K-1C + DHA group compared with the DHA and 1K-1C groups (p < 0.01). There was an improvement of P(2), N(2) and P(3) components following DHA supplementation in 1K-1C hypertensive rats compared with the 1K-1C group.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study suggests that DHA supplementation has the potential to prevent VEP changes caused by an experimental model of hypertension. This state might be related to the lipid peroxidation lowering effect of DHA.
Hacioglu
Gulay
G
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Arapsuyu, Antalya, Turkey.
Agar
Aysel
A
Yargicoglu
Piraye
P
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006978:Hypertension, Renovascular / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism
D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D009569:Nitric Oxide