Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids increase the neurite outgrowth of rat sensory neurones throughout development and in aged animals

Lesley G Robson; Simon C Dyall; David Sidloff; Adina T Michael-Titus

doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.05.027

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids increase the neurite outgrowth of rat sensory neurones throughout development and in aged animals

Neurobiol Aging. 2010 Apr;31(4):678-87. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.05.027. Epub 2008 Jul 14.

Authors

Lesley G Robson¹, Simon C Dyall, David Sidloff, Adina T Michael-Titus

Affiliation

¹ Neuroscience Centre, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, Whitechapel, London E1 2AT, United Kingdom.

PMID: 18620782
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.05.027

Abstract

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the omega-3 series and omega-6 series modulate neurite outgrowth in immature neurones. However, it has not been determined if their neurotrophic effects persist in adult and aged tissue. We prepared cultures of primary sensory neurones from male and female rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG), isolated at different ages: post-natal day 3 (P3) and day 9 (P9), adult (2-4 months) and aged (18-20 months). Cultures were incubated with the omega-6 PUFA arachidonic acid (AA) and the omega-3 PUFA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), at 0.8, 4, 8 and 40muM. PUFA increased neurite outgrowth throughout the developmental stages studied. The effects of omega-3 PUFA, in particular DHA, were still prominent in aged tissue. The amplitude of the effects was comparable to that of nerve growth factor (NGF; 50ng/ml) and all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA; 0.1muM). The effects of PUFA were similar in cells positive or negative for the N52 neurofilament marker. Our results show that omega-3 PUFA have a marked neurite-promoting potential in neurones from adult and aged animals.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aging / drug effects
Aging / metabolism
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Cells, Cultured
Docosahexaenoic Acids / metabolism
Docosahexaenoic Acids / pharmacology
Docosahexaenoic Acids / therapeutic use
Eicosapentaenoic Acid / metabolism
Eicosapentaenoic Acid / pharmacology
Eicosapentaenoic Acid / therapeutic use
Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / metabolism
Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / pharmacology*
Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / therapeutic use
Female
Ganglia, Spinal / cytology
Ganglia, Spinal / drug effects*
Ganglia, Spinal / growth & development*
Male
Nerve Growth Factor / pharmacology
Nerve Growth Factors / metabolism
Nerve Growth Factors / pharmacology*
Nerve Growth Factors / therapeutic use
Neurites / drug effects*
Neurites / metabolism
Neurites / ultrastructure
Neurofilament Proteins / metabolism
Neurogenesis / drug effects
Neurogenesis / physiology
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Sensory Receptor Cells / cytology
Sensory Receptor Cells / drug effects*
Sensory Receptor Cells / metabolism
Tretinoin / pharmacology
Up-Regulation / drug effects
Up-Regulation / physiology

Substances

Fatty Acids, Omega-3
Nerve Growth Factors
Neurofilament Proteins
Docosahexaenoic Acids
Tretinoin
Nerve Growth Factor
Eicosapentaenoic Acid