Beneficial effects of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid on toxin-induced neuronal degeneration in an animal model of Parkinson's disease.
In this study, we examined whether omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may exert neuroprotective action in Parkinson's disease, as previously shown in Alzheimer's disease. We exposed mice to either a control or a high n-3 PUFA diet from 2 to 12 months of age and then treated them with the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP; 140 mg/kg in 5 days). High n-3 PUFA dietary consumption completely prevented the MPTP-induced decrease of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-labeled nigral cells (P<0.01 vs. MPTP mice on control diet), Nurr1 mRNA (P<0.01 vs. MPTP mice on control diet), and dopamine transporter mRNA levels (P<0.05 vs. MPTP mice on control diet) in the substantia nigra. Although n-3 PUFA dietary treatment had no effect on striatal dopaminergic terminals, the high n-3 PUFA diet protected against the MPTP-induced decrease in dopamine (P<0.05 vs. MPTP mice on control diet) and its metabolite dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (P<0.05 vs. MPTP mice on control diet) in the striatum. Taken together, these data suggest that a high n-3 PUFA dietary intake exerts neuroprotective actions in an animal model of Parkinsonism.
Bousquet
M
M
Centre de Recherche en Endocrinologie Moléculaire et Oncologique, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
Saint-Pierre
M
M
Julien
C
C
Salem
N
N
Cicchetti
F
F
Calon
F
F
D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020267:MPTP Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008954:Models, Biological; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D057126:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 2; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000737:chemistry; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C539883:Nr4a2 protein, mouse; D057126:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 2; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine