title: The influence and the mechanism of docosahexaenoic acid on a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.
abstract: This study aimed to investigate the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the oxidative stress that occurs in an experimental mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD). An experimental model of PD was created by four intraperitoneal injections of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) (4 × 20 mg/kg, at 12h intervals). Docosahexaenoic acid was given daily by gavage for 4 weeks (36 mg/kg/day). The motor activity of the mice was evaluated via the pole test, and the dopaminergic lesion was determined by immunohistochemical analysis for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunopositive cells. The activity of antioxidant enzymes in the brain were determined by spectrophotometric assays and the concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) were measured as an index of oxidative damage. The number of apoptotic dopaminergic cells significantly increased in MPTP-treated mice compared to controls. Although DHA significantly diminished the number of cell deaths in MPTP-treated mice, it did not improve the decreased motor activity observed in the experimental PD model. Docosahexaenoic acid significantly diminished the amount of cell death in the MPTP+DHA group as compared to the MPTP group. TBARS levels in the brain were significantly increased following MPTP treatment. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) activities of brain were unaltered in all groups. The activity of brain superoxide dismutase (SOD) was decreased in the MPTP-treated group compared to the control group, but DHA treatment did not have an effect on SOD activity in the MPTP+DHA group. Our current data show that DHA treatment exerts neuroprotective actions on an experimental mouse model of PD. There was a decrease tendency in brain lipid oxidation of MPTP mice but it did not significantly.
authors: Akdeniz University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Antalya, Turkey.
authors: Ozlem
authors: O
authors: Ozsoy
authors: Yasemin
authors: Y
authors: Seval-Celik
authors: Gulay
authors: G
authors: Hacioglu
authors: Piraye
authors: P
authors: Yargicoglu
authors: Ramazan
authors: R
authors: Demir
authors: Aysel
authors: A
authors: Agar
authors: Mutay
authors: M
authors: Aslan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D018476:Hypokinesia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000523:psychology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D020267:MPTP Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase