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The Journal of Neuroscience, April 26, 2006, 26(17):4672-4680; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5539-05.2006

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Development/Plasticity/Repair
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Recovery, whereas Omega-6 Fatty Acids Worsen Outcome, after Spinal Cord Injury in the Adult Rat

Von R. King, ^* Wenlong L. Huang, ^* Simon C. Dyall, Olimpia E. Curran, John V. Priestley, and Adina T. Michael-Titus

Neuroscience Centre, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, St. Bartholomew’s and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Von R. King, Neuroscience Centre, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, 4 Newark Street, London E1 2AT, UK. Email: vonrking{at}yahoo.co.uk

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a cause of major neurological disability, and no satisfactory treatment is currently available. Evidence suggests that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) could target some of the pathological mechanisms that underlie damage after SCI. We examined the effects of treatment with PUFAs after lateral spinal cord hemisection in the rat. The -3 PUFAs -linolenic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) injected 30 min after injury induced significantly improved locomotor performance and neuroprotection, including decreased lesion size and apoptosis and increased neuronal and oligodendrocyte survival. Evidence showing a decrease in RNA/DNA oxidation suggests that the neuroprotective effect of -3 PUFAs involved a significant antioxidant function. In contrast, animals treated with arachidonic acid, an -6 PUFA, had a significantly worse outcome than controls. We confirmed the neuroprotective effect of -3 PUFAs by examining the effects of DHA treatment after spinal cord compression injury. Results indicated that DHA administered 30 min after spinal cord compression not only greatly increased survival of neurons but also resulted in significantly better locomotor performance for up to 6 weeks after injury.

This report shows a striking difference in efficacy between the effects of treatment with -3 and -6 PUFAs on the outcome of SCI, with -3 PUFAs being neuroprotective and -6 PUFAs having a damaging effect. Given the proven clinical safety of -3 PUFAs, our observations show that these PUFAs have significant therapeutic potential in SCI. In contrast, the use of preparations enriched in -6 PUFAs after injury could worsen outcome after SCI.

Key words: spinal cord injury; neuroprotection; omega-3 fatty acids; apoptosis; inflammation; oxidation

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Received Dec. 25, 2005; revised March 13, 2006; accepted March 22, 2006.

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Von R. King, Neuroscience Centre, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, 4 Newark Street, London E1 2AT, UK. Email: vonrking{at}yahoo.co.uk

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Ceruti, G. Villa, T. Genovese, E. Mazzon, R. Longhi, P. Rosa, P. Bramanti, S. Cuzzocrea, and M. P. Abbracchio The P2Y-like receptor GPR17 as a sensor of damage and a new potential target in spinal cord injury Brain, August 1, 2009; 132(8): 2206 - 2218. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. L. Huang, V. R. King, O. E. Curran, S. C. Dyall, R. E. Ward, N. Lal, J. V. Priestley, and A. T. Michael-Titus A combination of intravenous and dietary docosahexaenoic acid significantly improves outcome after spinal cord injury Brain, November 1, 2007; 130(11): 3004 - 3019. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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