title: Maternal omega-3 fatty acid supplementation protects against lipopolysaccharide-induced white matter injury in the neonatal rat brain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is the predominant form of brain injury in premature infants, and no specific treatment currently exists for this condition. We have evaluated whether maternal omega-3 fatty acid (ω3 FA) treatment reduces endotoxin-induced PVL in the developing rat brain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar rats with dated pregnancies were fed a standard diet or a diet enriched in ω3 FA (70% docosahexaenoic acid + 30% eicosapentaenoic acid mixture) during gestation. Intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was administered consecutively on the 18th and 19th embryonic days to establish the endotoxin-induced PVL rat model. The animals were divided into four groups: (i) control, (ii) PVL, (iii) PVL+low-dose ω3 FA and (iv) PVL+high-dose ω3 FA. At day P7, apoptosis and hypomyelination in periventricular white matter were evaluated by immunohistochemical assessments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High-dose maternal ω3 FA treatment reduced brain weight loss. Maternal ω3 FA treatment given either in low or high doses greatly decreased caspase-3 immunoreactivity and increased myelin basic protein immunoreactivity, indicating a decrease in apoptosis and hypomyelination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering that no specific treatment is available for PVL, maternal ω3 FA supplementation may provide a nutritional strategy to limit periventricular white matter damage caused by infections during pregnancy.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey.
authors: Funda
authors: F
authors: Tuzun
authors: Abdullah
authors: A
authors: Kumral
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Dilek
authors: Seda
authors: S
authors: Ozbal
authors: Bekir
authors: B
authors: Ergur
authors: Didem Cemile
authors: DC
authors: Yesilirmak
authors: Nuray
authors: N
authors: Duman
authors: Osman
authors: O
authors: Yilmaz
authors: Hasan
authors: H
authors: Ozkan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D056784:Leukoencephalopathies / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D009035:Mothers; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents