title: A minimum of 3 months of dietary fish oil supplementation is required to raise amygdaloid afterdischarge seizure thresholds in rats--implications for treating complex partial seizures.
abstract: Complex partial seizures, which typically originate in limbic structures such as the amygdala, are often resistant to antiseizure medications. Our goal was to investigate the effects of chronic dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) derived from fish oil on seizure thresholds in the amygdala, as well as on blood and brain PUFA levels. The acute effects of injected n-3 PUFAs--eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)--were also tested in the maximal pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) seizure model. In amygdala-implanted subjects, fish oil supplementation significantly increased amygdaloid afterdischarge thresholds, as compared with controls at 3, 5, and 7 months after the start of supplementation. Fish oil supplementation also increased serum EPA and DHA concentrations. DHA concentration in the pyriform-amygdala area increased in the fish-oil treated group by 17-34%, but this effect did not reach statistical significance (P=0.065). DHA significantly increased the latency to seizure onset in the PTZ seizure model, whereas EPA had no significant effect. These observations suggest that chronic dietary fish oil supplementation can raise focal amygdaloid seizure thresholds and that this effect is likely mediated by DHA rather than by EPA.
authors: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1A8. a.taha@utoronto.ca
authors: Ameer Y
authors: AY
authors: Taha
authors: Marc-Olivier
authors: MO
authors: Trepanier
authors: Flaviu A
authors: FA
authors: Ciobanu
authors: Nadeen M
authors: NM
authors: Taha
authors: Muaz
authors: M
authors: Ahmed
authors: Qiudi
authors: Q
authors: Zeng
authors: Waiyin I
authors: WI
authors: Cheuk
authors: Bryan
authors: B
authors: Ip
authors: Elvis
authors: E
authors: Filo
authors: Brian W
authors: BW
authors: Scott
authors: W M
authors: WM
authors: Burnham
authors: Richard P
authors: RP
authors: Bazinet
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003292:Convulsants / Q000633:toxicity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004569:Electroencephalography; D017029:Epilepsy, Complex Partial / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D008297:Male; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003292:Convulsants; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole