title: Dietary intake of unsaturated fatty acids modulates physiological properties of entorhinal cortex neurons in mice.
abstract: Dietary lipids modify brain fatty acid profile, but evidence of their direct effect on neuronal function is sparse. The enthorinal cortex (EC) neurons connecting to the hippocampus play a critical role in learning and memory. Here, we have exposed mice to diets based on canola:soybean oils (40 : 10, g/kg) or safflower : corn oils (25 : 25, g/kg) to investigate the relationship between the lipid profile of brain fatty acids and the intrinsic properties of EC neurons. Consumption of canola : soybean oil-enriched diet led to the increase of the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid and to a decrease of arachidonic acid in ethanolamine glycerophospholipids of the white matter. We also found an important rise in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) within ethanolamine glycerophospholipids and phosphatidylserine of gray matter. The canola:soybean oil treatment led to a shorter duration of action potential (-21%), a reduction in the duration of postsynaptic response (-21%) and increased firing activity (+43%). Data from additional experiments with animals fed DHA alone or DHA with canola oil suggested that dietary monounsaturated fatty acid may have contributed to these effects on EC neuron physiology. Since neuronal function within the enthorhinal-hippocampal loop is critical to learning and memory processes, the present data may provide a functional basis for the beneficial cognitive effects of canola oil-based diets.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de pharmacie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Dany
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arsenault
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Julien
authors.forename: Chuck T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Bazinet
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Calon
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004032:Diet; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005410:Flame Ionization; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000737:chemistry; D000074262:Rapeseed Oil; D013024:Soybean Oil / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008055:Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D000074262:Rapeseed Oil; D013024:Soybean Oil