title: A Single Dose of Docosahexaenoic Acid Increases the Functional Recovery Promoted by Rehabilitation after Cervical Spinal Cord Injury in the Rat.
abstract: Task-specific rehabilitation has been shown to promote functional recovery after acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Recently, the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), has been shown to promote neuroplasticity after SCI. Here, we investigated whether the combination of a single bolus of DHA with rehabilitation can enhance the effect of DHA or rehabilitation therapy in adult injured spinal cord. We found enhanced functional improvement with DHA in combination with rehabilitation compared with either treatment alone in a rat cervical lateral hemisection SCI model. This behavioral improvement correlated with a significant sprouting of uninjured corticospinal and serotonergic fibers. We also observed that the greatest increase in the synaptic vesicle protein, synaptophysin, and the synaptic active zone protein, Bassoon, occurred in animals that received both DHA and rehabilitation. In summary, the functional, anatomical, and synaptic plasticity induced by task-specific rehabilitation can be further enhanced by DHA treatment. This study shows the potential beneficial effects of DHA combined with rehabilitation for the treatment of patients with SCI.
authors.affiliation: 1 Queen Mary University of London , Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, London, United Kingdom .|2 Chang Gung Medical College and University , Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Linkou, Taiwan .
authors.forename: Zhou-Hao
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: 1 Queen Mary University of London , Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, London, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Ping K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.affiliation: 1 Queen Mary University of London , Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, London, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: John V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Priestley
authors.affiliation: 1 Queen Mary University of London , Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Blizard Institute, London, United Kingdom .
authors.forename: Adina T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Michael-Titus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008124:Locomotion; D009048:Motor Skills; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects*; D059326:Serotonergic Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C113688:Bsn protein, rat; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D016708:Synaptophysin; C569016:Syp protein, rat; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids
keywords: docosahexaenoic acid; neuroplasticity; omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; rehabilitation; spinal cord injury