title: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids increase the neurite outgrowth of rat sensory neurones throughout development and in aged animals.
abstract: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the omega-3 series and omega-6 series modulate neurite outgrowth in immature neurones. However, it has not been determined if their neurotrophic effects persist in adult and aged tissue. We prepared cultures of primary sensory neurones from male and female rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG), isolated at different ages: post-natal day 3 (P3) and day 9 (P9), adult (2-4 months) and aged (18-20 months). Cultures were incubated with the omega-6 PUFA arachidonic acid (AA) and the omega-3 PUFA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), at 0.8, 4, 8 and 40muM. PUFA increased neurite outgrowth throughout the developmental stages studied. The effects of omega-3 PUFA, in particular DHA, were still prominent in aged tissue. The amplitude of the effects was comparable to that of nerve growth factor (NGF; 50ng/ml) and all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA; 0.1muM). The effects of PUFA were similar in cells positive or negative for the N52 neurofilament marker. Our results show that omega-3 PUFA have a marked neurite-promoting potential in neurones from adult and aged animals.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Centre, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, Whitechapel, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lesley G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Robson
authors.forename: Simon C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Dyall
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sidloff
authors.forename: Adina T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Michael-Titus
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D014212:Tretinoin; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid