Abstract
Previous investigations have shown that the lipid composition of cerebral membranes and dopaminergic neurotransmission are changed under chronic alpha-linolenic acid diet deficiency in the rat. This study investigated whether these changes could be reversed and if the stage of brain maturation might play a role in the recovery process. The effects of reversion on the fatty acid (FA) composition and dopaminergic neurotransmission were studied in brain regions known to be affected by such deficiency (i.e., the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens) in 2-month-old animals. Dopamine release under pharmacological stimulation was studied using a dual-probe microdialysis method. Vesicular monoamine transporters were studied using quantitative autoradiography. The reversal diet, with adequate levels of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), was given to deficient rats at different stages of development (0, 7, 14, or 21 days of age). The results showed that when given during the lactating period, this diet was able to restore both the FA composition of brain membranes and the parameters of dopaminergic neurotransmission studied. However, when given from weaning, it allowed partial recovery of biochemical parameters but no recovery of neurochemical factors. The occurrence of profound n-3 PUFA deficiency during the lactating period could therefore be an environmental insult leading to irreversible damage to specific brain functions.
Highlights
Previous investigations have shown that the lipid composition of cerebral membranes and dopaminergic neurotransmission are changed under chronic ␣-linolenic acid diet deficiency in the rat
In order to establish the links between biochemical and functional parameters, we studied the effects of reversion of ␣-linolenic acid diet deficiency on the fatty acid (FA) composition and dopaminergic neurotransmission in two dopaminergic brain regions known to be affected by such deficiency, i.e., the prefrontal cortex (PFCx) and the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), in 2-month-old animals
The main aim of this study was to examine the effects of a shift from an ␣-linolenic acid-deficient diet to a balanced diet applied at different stages of the postnatal period on the FA composition, pharmacologically-stimulated release of DA, and density of vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) in the PFCx and the NAcc of adult rats
Summary
Previous investigations have shown that the lipid composition of cerebral membranes and dopaminergic neurotransmission are changed under chronic ␣-linolenic acid diet deficiency in the rat. The effects of reversion on the fatty acid (FA) composition and dopaminergic neurotransmission were studied in brain regions known to be affected by such deficiency (i.e., the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens) in 2-month-old animals. Recent investigations on adult rats chronically deficient in ␣-linolenic acid showed abnormal functioning of the mesocortical and mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways [26,27,28] These changes could be related to the effects of n-3 PUFA deficiency on motivation, response to reward, and learning ability [29, 30]. In order to establish the links between biochemical and functional parameters, we studied the effects of reversion of ␣-linolenic acid diet deficiency on the FA composition and dopaminergic neurotransmission in two dopaminergic brain regions known to be affected by such deficiency, i.e., the prefrontal cortex (PFCx) and the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), in 2-month-old animals. Our hypothesis was that the degree of brain maturation might play a critical role in the ability to recover the neurochemical functions affected by n-3 PUFA deficiency in rats
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