title: Dietary enrichment with medium chain triglycerides (AC-1203) elevates polyunsaturated fatty acids in the parietal cortex of aged dogs: implications for treating age-related cognitive decline.
abstract: Dogs demonstrate an age-related cognitive decline, which may be related to a decrease in the concentration of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in the brain. Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) increase fatty acid oxidation, and it has been suggested that this may raise brain n-3 PUFA levels by increasing mobilization of n-3 PUFA from adipose tissue to the brain. The goal of the present study was to determine whether dietary MCT would raise n-3 PUFA concentrations in the brains of aged dogs. Eight Beagle dogs were randomized to a control diet (n = 4) or an MCT (AC-1203) enriched diet (n = 4) for 2 months. The animals were then euthanized and the parietal cortex was removed for phospholipid, cholesterol and fatty acid determinations by gas-chromatography. Dietary enrichment with MCT (AC-1203) resulted in a significant increase in brain phospholipid and total lipid concentrations (P < 0.05). In particular, n-3 PUFA within the phospholipid, unesterified fatty acid, and total lipid fractions were elevated in AC-1203 treated subjects as compared to controls (P < 0.05). Brain cholesterol concentrations did not differ significantly between the groups (P > 0.05). These results indicate that dietary enrichment with MCT, raises n-3 PUFA concentrations in the parietal cortex of aged dogs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, Toronto, ON, Canada. a.taha@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Ameer Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.forename: Samuel T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Burnham
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004285:Dogs; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000032:analysis; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D010743:Phospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides