title: Prenatal omega 3 fatty acid supplementation to a micronutrient imbalanced diet protects brain neurotrophins in both the cortex and hippocampus in the adult rat offspring.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our earlier studies show that maternal diets imbalanced in micronutrients like folic acid and vitamin B12 reduced brain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the offspring at birth and postnatal d21. This study followed the offspring till 3 months to examine the hypothesis that impaired brain neurotrophins at birth and d21 due to altered maternal micronutrients can be reversed by prenatal omega 3 fatty acid but not a postnatal control diet leading to altered cognition in adult life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant rats were divided into control and five treatment groups at two levels of folic acid (normal and excess folate) in the presence and absence of vitamin B12 (NFBD, EFB and EFBD). Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation was given to the vitamin B12 deficient groups (NFBDO and EFBDO). Following delivery, 8 dams from each group were shifted to control and remaining continued on same diet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Imbalance in maternal micronutrients up to 3months decreased DHA, BDNF and NGF in cortex and only BDNF in the hippocampus and impaired cognitive performance. Postnatal control diet normalized BDNF in the cortex but not the hippocampus and also altered cognitive performance. Prenatal omega 3 fatty acid supplementation normalized DHA, BDNF and NGF while long term supplementation was not beneficial only when micronutrients were imbalanced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patterns established at birth are not totally reversible by postnatal diets and give clues for planning intervention studies for improving brain functioning and cognitive abilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Medicine, Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune 411043, India.
authors.forename: Pratiksha S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sable
authors.forename: Anvita A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kale
authors.forename: Sadhana R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Joshi
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D018977:Micronutrients; D006710:Homocysteine; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12
keywords: AA; Arachidonic Acid; BDNF; Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor; Brain derived neurotrophic factor; Cognition; DHA; Developmental Origins of Health and Disease; DoHad; Docosahexaenoic Acid; NGF; Nerve Growth Factor