title: [Effect of docosahexaenoic acid and nervonic acid on the damage of learning and memory abilities in rats induced by 1-bromopropane].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the protective effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and nervonic acid (NA) on the learning and memory abilities in rats exposed to 1-bromopropane (1-BP) and their action mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty male Wistar rats (specific pathogen-free) were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 10 for each), i.e., solvent control group, 1-BP (800 mg/kg) group, NA (150 mg/kg) + 1-BP (800 mg/kg) group, and DHA (500 mg/kg) + 1-BP (800 mg/kg) group. The rats were given respective test substances by gavage for 7 d. The Morris water maze (MWM) test was performed from days 8 to 12 to evaluate the rats' learning and memory abilities. After MWM test, rats were sacrificed in the next day, and cerebral cortex was quickly dissected and homogenized in an ice bath. The supernatant of the obtained homogenate was collected to measure the content of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of glutathione reductase (GR) and γ-glutamate cysteine ligase (γ-GCL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MWM spatial navigation test showed that the 1-BP group had significantly longer escape latency and significantly longer total swimming distance compared with the control group (P<0.05), while the DHA+1-BP group had significant decreases in escape latency and total swimming distance compared with the 1-BP group (P<0.05). The spatial probe test showed that the number of platform crossings was significantly greater in the DHA+1-BP group and NA+1-BP group than in the 1-BP group (P<0.05); compared with the control group, the 1-BP group had a significantly lower ratio of time spent in the zone around the platform to total time (P < 0.05), and the ratio was significantly higher in the DHA+1-BP group than in the 1-BP group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the 1-BP group had a 18.1% decrease in GSH content, and DHA could significantly reverse 1-BP-induced decrease in GSH content (P < 0.05). Compared with the 1-BP group, the DHA+1-BP group and NA+1-BP group had significantly decreased MDA content (P < 0.05), the DHA+1-BP group had significantly increased GR activity (P < 0.05), and the NA+1-BP group had significantly increased γ-GCL activity (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rats exposed to 1-BP have oxidative stress in the brain and impaired cognitive function. DHA and NA can reduce 1-BP-induced cognitive function impairment in rats, possibly by increasing the activities of GR and γ-GCL and the content of GSH in the brain.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Toxicology, School of Public Health,Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Toxicology, School of Public Health,Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
authors.forename: Qing-hua
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Toxicology, School of Public Health,Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
authors.forename: Yun-yang
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Toxicology, School of Public Health,Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
authors.forename: Chang-ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Institute of Toxicology, School of Public Health,Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
authors.forename: Ke-qin
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Institute of Toxicology, School of Public Health,Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China. E-mail: zhao.xl@sdu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiu-lan
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005721:Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D008315:Malondialdehyde; C013147:nervonic acid; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005721:Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase; C544143:GCLC protein, rat; D005978:Glutathione; C118559:1-bromopropane