title: Relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and plasma neuroactive steroids in alcoholism, depression and controls.
abstract: Deficiency in the long-chain omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been associated with increased corticotropin releasing hormone and may contribute to hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA) hyperactivity. Elevated levels of the neuroactive steroids, allopregnanolone (3alpha,5alpha-THP) and 3alpha,5alpha-tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC) appear to counter-regulate HPA hyperactivity. Plasma essential fatty acids and neurosteroids were assessed among 18 male healthy controls and among 34 male psychiatric patients with DSM-III alcoholism, depression, or both. Among all subjects, lower plasma DHA was correlated with higher plasma THDOC (r = -0.3, P < 0.05) and dihydroprogesterone (DHP) (r = -0.52, P < 0.05). Among psychiatric patients lower DHA was correlated with higher DHP (r = -0.60, P < 0.01), and among healthy controls lower plasma DHA was correlated with higher THDOC (r = -0.83, P < 0.01) and higher isopregnanolone (3beta,5alpha-THP) (r = -0.55, P < 0.05). In this pilot observational study, lower long-chain omega-3 essential fatty acid status was associated with higher neuroactive steroid concentrations, possibly indicating increased feedback inhibition of the HPA axis.
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Health, National Institutes on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, Laboratory of Membrane Biophysics and Biochemistry, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
authors.forename: L R G
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Nieminen
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Virkkunen
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hibbeln
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000032:analysis; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood*; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000097:blood; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000097:blood*; D013256:Steroids / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D008055:Lipids; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D013256:Steroids; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone; C009413:tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011280:Pregnanolone