Exposure to early‐life stress (ES) is associated with cognitive and metabolic deficits in adulthood. The role of early nutrition in programming these long‐term effects is largely unknown. We focused on essential ω‐3 and ω‐6 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) and investigated whether ES affects central and peripheral FA profiles, as well as if and how an early diet with increased availability of ω‐3 LCPUFA (via lowering ω‐6/ω‐3 ratio) protects against ES‐induced impairments. ES exposure [limited nesting and bedding paradigm from postnatal day (P)2 to P9] altered central and peripheral FA profiles in mice. An early diet with low ω‐6/ω‐3 ratio from P2 to P42 notably prevented the ES‐induced cognitive impairments, and the alterations in hippocampal newborn cell survival and in CD68+ microglia, without affecting the ES‐induced metabolic alterations. Other markers for hippocampal plasticity, apoptosis, and maternal care were unaffected by ES or diet. Our findings highlight the importance of early dietary lipid quality for later cognition in ES‐exposed populations.—Yam, K.‐Y., Schipper, L., Reemst, K., Ruigrok, S. R., Abbink, M. R., Hoeijmakers, L., Naninck, E. F. G., Zarekiani, P., Oosting, A., Van der Beek, E. M., Lucassen, P. J., Korosi, A. Increasing availability of ω‐3 fatty acid in the early‐life diet prevents the early‐life stress‐induced cognitive impairments without affecting metabolic alterations. FASEB J. 33, 5729–5740 (2019). http://www.fasebj.org
The blood–brain barrier is a dynamic endothelial cell barrier in the brain microvasculature that separates the blood from the brain parenchyma. Specialized brain endothelial cells, astrocytes, neurons, microglia and pericytes together compose the neurovascular unit and interact to maintain blood–brain barrier function. A disturbed brain barrier function is reported in most common neurological disorders and may play a role in disease pathogenesis. However, a comprehensive overview of how the neurovascular unit is affected in a wide range of rare disorders is lacking. Our aim was to provide further insights into the neuropathology of the neurovascular unit in leukodystrophies to unravel its potential pathogenic role in these diseases. Leukodystrophies are monogenic disorders of the white matter due to defects in any of its structural components. Single leukodystrophies are exceedingly rare, and availability of human tissue is unique. Expression of selective neurovascular unit markers such as claudin-5, zona occludens 1, laminin, PDGFRβ, aquaporin-4 and α-dystroglycan was investigated in eight different leukodystrophies using immunohistochemistry. We observed tight junction rearrangements, indicative of endothelial dysfunction, in five out of eight assessed leukodystrophies of different origin and an altered aquaporin-4 distribution in all. Aquaporin-4 redistribution indicates a general astrocytic dysfunction in leukodystrophies, even in those not directly related to astrocytic pathology or without prominent reactive astrogliosis. These findings provide further evidence for dysfunction in the orchestration of the neurovascular unit in leukodystrophies and contribute to a better understanding of the underlying disease mechanism.
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