title: Acute treatment with docosahexaenoic acid complexed to albumin reduces injury after a permanent focal cerebral ischemia in rats.
abstract: Docosahexaenoic acid complexed to albumin (DHA-Alb) is highly neuroprotective after temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo), but whether a similar effect occurs in permanent MCAo is unknown. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (270-330 g) underwent permanent MCAo. Neurological function was evaluated on days 1, 2 and 3 after MCAo. We studied six groups: DHA (5 mg/kg), Alb (0.63 or 1.25 g/kg), DHA-Alb (5 mg/kg+0.63 g/kg or 5 mg/kg+1.25 g/kg) or saline. Treatment was administered i.v. at 3 h after onset of stroke (n = 7-10 per group). Ex vivo imaging of brains and histopathology were conducted on day 3. Saline- and Alb-treated rats developed severe neurological deficits but were not significantly different from one another. In contrast, rats treated with low and moderate doses of DHA-Alb showed improved neurological score compared to corresponding Alb groups on days 2 and 3. Total, cortical and subcortical lesion volumes computed from T2 weighted images were reduced following a moderate dose of DHA-Alb (1.25 g/kg) by 25%, 22%, 34%, respectively, compared to the Alb group. The total corrected, cortical and subcortical infarct volumes were reduced by low (by 36-40%) and moderate doses (by 34-42%) of DHA-Alb treatment compared to the Alb groups. In conclusion, DHA-Alb therapy is highly neuroprotective in permanent MCAo in rats. This treatment can provide the basis for future therapeutics for patients suffering from ischemic stroke.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America.
authors.forename: Tiffany N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Eady
authors.forename: Larissa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Khoutorova
authors.forename: Daniela V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Anzola
authors.forename: Sung-Ha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Obenaus
authors.forename: Alena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohd-Yusof
authors.forename: Nicolas G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Bazan
authors.forename: Ludmila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Belayev
mesh_terms: D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000418:Albumins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006652:Histological Techniques; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids