Omega-3 fatty acids deprivation affects ontogeny of glutamatergic synapses in rats: relevance for behavior alterations.
Essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega3) are crucial to brain development and function, being relevant for behavioral performance. In the present study we examined the influence of dietary omega3 in the development of the glutamatergic system and on behavior parameters in rats. Female rats received isocaloric diets, either with omega3 (omega3 group) or a omega3 deficient diet (D group). In ontogeny experiments of their litters, hippocampal immunocontent of ionotropic NMDA and AMPA glutamatergic receptors subunits (NR2 A\B and GluR1, respectively) and the alpha isoform of the calcium-calmodulin protein kinase type II (alphaCaMKII) were evaluated. Additionally, hippocampal [(3)H]glutamate binding and uptake were assessed. Behavioral performance was evaluated when the litters were adult (60 days old), through the open-field, plus-maze, inhibitory avoidance and flinch-jump tasks. The D group showed decreased immunocontent of all proteins analyzed at 02 days of life (P2) in comparison with the omega3 group, although the difference disappeared at 21 days of life (except for alphaCaMKII, which content normalized at 60 days old). The same pattern was found for [(3)H]glutamate binding, whereas [(3)H]glutamate uptake was not affected. The D group also showed memory deficits in the inhibitory avoidance, increased in the exploratory pattern in open-field, and anxiety-like behavior in plus-maze. Taken together, our results suggest that dietary omega3 content is relevant for glutamatergic system development and for behavioral performance in adulthood. The putative correlation among the neurochemical and behavioral alterations caused by dietary omega3 deficiency is discussed.
Moreira
Júlia D
JD
Biochemistry Department, ICBS, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. juliamoreira@gmail.com.br
Knorr
Luisa
L
Ganzella
Marcelo
M
Thomazi
Ana Paula
AP
de Souza
Carolina G
CG
de Souza
Débora G
DG
Pitta
Carolina F
CF
Mello e Souza
Tadeu
T
Wofchuk
Susana
S
Elisabetsky
Elaine
E
Vinadé
Lúcia
L
Perry
Marcos L S
ML
Souza
Diogo O
DO
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 / Q000032:analysis; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000502:physiology; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000172:deficiency*; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D007774:Lactation; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000032:analysis; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000032:analysis; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000737:chemistry; D014316:Tritium
D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D014316:Tritium; C120997:NR2A NMDA receptor; C121001:NR2B NMDA receptor