title: Partial neurorescue effects of DHA following a 6-OHDA lesion of the mouse dopaminergic system.
abstract: Pre-clinical data collected in mouse models of Parkinson's disease (PD) support the neuroprotective potential of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA)-enriched diet on the dopaminergic (DAergic) system. In this study, we investigated the effects of an n-3 PUFA-rich diet using a neurorescue/neurorestorative paradigm. C57BL/6 adult mice were submitted to a striatal stereotaxic injection of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) to induce striatal DAergic denervation and subsequent nigral DAergic cell loss. Three weeks post-lesion, mice received either a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-enriched or a control diet for a period of 6 weeks. HPLC analyses revealed a 111% post-lesion increase in striatal dopamine levels in the DHA-fed animals compared to controls (ctrl, P<0.05), although no improvement in the motor behavior was observed. DHA treatment led to a 89% rise in tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive terminals within the striatum (P<0.05) in lesioned animals. Despite the fact that DHA did not change the number of TH+ neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), morphological analyses revealed an increased in perimeters (+7%) and areas (+21%) of DAergic cell bodies in treated animals. Collectively, our results suggest that DHA induces a partial neurorescue/neurorestoration of the DAergic system and support further studies to investigate the potential of a diet-based intervention, or at least the combination of such approach, to current treatments in PD.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Pharmacie, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry 1050, avenue de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (CHUQ), Axe Neurosciences, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada. Electronic address: katherine.coulombe.2@ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Coulombe
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (CHUQ), Axe Neurosciences, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada. Electronic address: martine.saint-pierre@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saint-Pierre
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (CHUQ), Axe Neurosciences, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada; Département de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, 1050, ave de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada. Electronic address: Giulia.Cisbani@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cisbani
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (CHUQ), Axe Neurosciences, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada; Département de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, 1050, ave de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada. Electronic address: Isabelle.St-Amour@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: St-Amour
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (CHUQ), Axe Neurosciences, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada; Département de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, 1050, ave de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada. Electronic address: claire.gibrat@criucpq.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gibrat
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Pharmacie, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry 1050, avenue de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (CHUQ), Axe Neurosciences, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada. Electronic address: ariane.giguere-rancourt.1@ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giguère-Rancourt
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Pharmacie, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry 1050, avenue de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (CHUQ), Axe Neurosciences, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada. Electronic address: frederic.calon@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Calon
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec (CHUQ), Axe Neurosciences, 2705, boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada; Département de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, 1050, ave de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada. Electronic address: francesca.cicchetti@crchudequebec.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cicchetti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016627:Oxidopamine
keywords: 6-Hydroxydopamine; Docosahexaenoic acid; Dopamine; Neurorescue; Neurorestoration; Parkinson's disease