Long-Term Effect of Docosahexaenoic Acid Feeding on Lipid Composition and Brain Fatty Acid-Binding Protein Expression in Rats.
Arachidonic (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) brain accretion is essential for brain development. The impact of DHA-rich maternal diets on offspring brain fatty acid composition has previously been studied up to the weanling stage; however, there has been no follow-up at later stages. Here, we examine the impact of DHA-rich maternal and weaning diets on brain fatty acid composition at weaning and three weeks post-weaning. We report that DHA supplementation during lactation maintains high DHA levels in the brains of pups even when they are fed a DHA-deficient diet for three weeks after weaning. We show that boosting dietary DHA levels for three weeks after weaning compensates for a maternal DHA-deficient diet during lactation. Finally, our data indicate that brain fatty acid binding protein (FABP7), a marker of neural stem cells, is down-regulated in the brains of six-week pups with a high DHA:AA ratio. We propose that elevated levels of DHA in developing brain accelerate brain maturation relative to DHA-deficient brains.
Department of Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada. marwae@ualberta.ca.
Marwa E
ME
Elsherbiny
Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada. sgoruk@ualberta.ca.
Susan
S
Goruk
Department of Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada. eamonckton@shaw.ca.
Elizabeth A
EA
Monckton
Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada. cr5@ualberta.ca.
Caroline
C
Richard
Department of Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada. mbrun@ualberta.ca.
Miranda
M
Brun
Centre for Aging and Associated Diseases, Zewail City for Science and Technology, Cairo, 12588, Egypt. memara@zewailcity.edu.eg.
Marwan
M
Emara
Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada. cjfield@ualberta.ca.
Catherine J
CJ
Field
Department of Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada. rgodbout@ualberta.ca.
Roseline
R
Godbout
D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D014886:Weaning
C490174:Fabp7 protein, rat; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid
arachidonic acid; brain development; brain lipids; diet and dietary lipids; fatty acid/binding protein