Effects of maternal intake of docosahexaenoic acid on febrile status epilepticus and increased susceptibility to seizures after growth

Abstract

Febrile seizures are caused by an abrupt increase in body temperature. They are sometimes recurrent, and the more seizures are triggered, the higher the risk of epilepsy and psychiatric disorders increase after growing up. Prevention of febrile seizure is considered to be one of the effective countermeasures in protecting the future health of children. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an important nutrient especially during pregnancy and childhood and is reported to suppress several types of epilepsy. Therefore, we challenged maternal DHA intake to prevent febrile seizures and secondary epilepsy after growth in mice. We used a heat chamber for febrile seizure induction. Intake of DHA during pregnancy and infancy increased the amount of DHA in the brain of offspring. DHA prolonged the seizure latency and increased body temperature at which the first seizure occurred, indicating that maternal DHA intake decreases febrile seizure sensitivity. The mice with febrile status epilepticus showed increased susceptibility to seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol. DHA intake during infancy suppressed the appearance of excitatory electroencephalography and prolonged the seizure latency. Collectively, DHA intake during pregnancy and infancy is of significance in protecting infant from seizures as well as conserving health after growth.