title: Omega-3 fatty acids deprivation affects ontogeny of glutamatergic synapses in rats: relevance for behavior alterations.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department, ICBS, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. juliamoreira@gmail.com.br
authors.forename: Júlia D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Knorr
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ganzella
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Thomazi
authors.forename: Carolina G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Débora G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Carolina F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Pitta
authors.forename: Tadeu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mello e Souza
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wofchuk
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elisabetsky
authors.forename: Lúcia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vinadé
authors.forename: Marcos L S
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Diogo O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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