title: Effect of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on brain lipid fatty acid composition, learning ability, and memory of senescence-accelerated mouse.
abstract: Animal studies have shown that a deficiency in brain of the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is associated with memory loss and diminished cognitive function. The senescence-accelerated prone 8 (SAMP8) mouse develops impairments in learning and memory at 8-12 months of age. The effect of diet supplemented with n-3 PUFA on brain phospholipid DHA status, learning, and memory ability in aged SAMP8 mice was investigated. At the age of 10 months, SAMP8 mice were fed either a low-DHA or a high-DHA diet for 8 weeks. In comparison to SAMP8 mice fed the low-DHA diet, those fed a high-DHA diet had improved acquisition and retention in a T-maze foot shock avoidance test and a higher proportion of DHA in hippocampal and amygdala phospholipids. This study demonstrates that, in mature animals, DHA is incorporated into brain phospholipids and that dietary n-3 PUFA is associated with delay in cognitive decline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Vatnsmyrarvegi 16, IS-101, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Anna L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Petursdottir
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Farr
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Morley
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: Gudrun V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Skuladottir
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids