title: Alterations in levels and ratios of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the temporal cortex and liver of vervet monkeys from birth to early adulthood.
abstract: Deficiencies in omega-3 (n-3) long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) and increases in the ratio of omega-6 (n-6) to n-3 LC-PUFAs in brain tissues and blood components have been associated with psychiatric and developmental disorders. Most studies have focused on n-3 LC-PUFA accumulation in the brain from birth until 2years of age, well before the symptomatic onset of such disorders. The current study addresses changes that occur in childhood and adolescence. Postmortem brain (cortical gray matter, inferior temporal lobe; n=50) and liver (n=60) from vervet monkeys fed a uniform diet from birth through young adulthood were collected from archived tissues. Lipids were extracted and fatty acid levels determined. There was a marked reduction in the ratio of n-6 LC-PUFAs, arachidonic acid (ARA) and adrenic acid (ADR), relative to the n-3 LC-PUFA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in temporal cortex lipids from birth to puberty and then a more gradual decrease though adulthood. This decrease in ratio resulted from a 3-fold accumulation of DHA levels while concentrations of ARA remained constant. Early childhood through adolescence appears to be a critical period for DHA accretion in the cortex of vervet monkeys and may represent a vulnerable stage where lack of dietary n-3 LC-PUFAs impacts development in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Leslie R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jorgensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Jay R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.affiliation: The Center for Botanical Lipids and Inflammatory Disease Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Seeds
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Elaheh
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rahbar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Welborn
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chilton
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Julianne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gillis
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Austin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hester
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Mae
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rukstalis
authors.affiliation: The Center for Botanical Lipids and Inflammatory Disease Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sergeant
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA; The Center for Botanical Lipids and Inflammatory Disease Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. Electronic address: schilton@wakehealth.edu.
authors.forename: Floyd H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Chilton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid
keywords: Arachidonic acid; Brain; Docosahexaenoic acid; Omega-3 deficiency; Psychiatric and developmental disorders