Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid-Enriched Phospholipids Normalize Urinary Melatonin Excretion in Adult (n-3) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid-Deficient Rats

Abstract

Melatonin (MEL) plays an essential role in physiologic functions associated with darkness. We examined the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-enriched phospholipids from pig brains (BPL) or hen eggs (EPL), as sources of DHA, on lipid FA composition of pineal membranes and daytime and nighttime concentrations of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6) in adult male control and (n-3)-deficient rats fed BPL and EPL diets for 5 wk. In two experiments, at 3 wk of age, rats were divided into subgroups and fed semipurified diets containing either peanut oil [(n-3)-deficient group] or peanut plus rapeseed oil (control group) and two dietary formulas containing either 3.5 g/100 g diet of BPL (Experiment 1) or 5.0 g/100 g diet of EPL (Experiment 2). BPL and EPL diets provided approximately 200 mg of DHA/100 g diet. During the daytime, aMT6 concentrations were not significantly different among groups. Conversely, the (n-3)-deficient rats had significantly lower nighttime aMT6 concentrations than the control rats. BPL and EPL did not affect urinary nighttime aMT6 concentration in the control group, whereas (n-3)-deficient + BPL or EPL groups exhibited significantly higher nighttime aMT6 concentrations than the (n-3)-deficient group (76 and 110%, respectively). The level of DHA was significantly higher in the pineal glands of control rats than in (n-3)-deficient rats. In rats fed EPL and BPL, the level of DHA reached a plateau, between 10 and 11 mg/100 mg total fatty acids in control + BPL or EPL and (n-3)-deficient + BPL or EPL groups. These findings suggest that new DHA-enriched formulas may be used as an efficient alternative source of (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids to normalize MEL secretion.

Dietary supplementation with a specific combination of high protein, leucine, and fish oil improves muscle function and daily activity in tumour-bearing cachectic mice

“…Normal sleep patterns are critically dependent on the circadian release of melatonin from the pineal gland. DHA-enriched formulas have been reported to normalise melatonin secretion in (n-3)-deficient rats (Zaouali-Ajina et al, 1999), this might also be an explanation for the results obtained in our experiments.…”

Fatty acids and sleep in UK children: subjective and pilot objective sleep results from the DOLAB study – a randomized controlled trial

“…For example, arachidonic acid (AA) is required as a precursor for the sleep-promoting prostaglandin D2 (Urade and Hayaishi, 2011), and DHA also appears essential for sleep regulation (Lavialle et al , 2008). Evidence suggests that the balance of DHA and AA in the pineal gland regulates melatonin production (Zaouali-Ajina et al , 1999), with higher levels of DHA relating to increased levels of melatonin (Zhang et al , 1998). In the underlying processes DHA seems needed for one of the enzymes which transforms serotonin into melatonin (Catala, 2010; Peuhkuri et al , 2012).…”

Hunger and violence

“…Yapılan bir çalışmada, omega-3 ÇDYA'larından fakir bir diyetle beslenen rat epifiz bezi kültü-ründe melatonin salınımında önemli bir azalma olduğu saptanmıştır (21). Başka bir çalışmada, omega-3 ÇDYA eksikliği olan ratlarda gece boyunca toplanan idrarda melatonin ana metaboliti olan 6-sulfatoksimelatonin düzeyinde % 32 azalma gösterilmiştir (22). Hamsterler üzerinde yapılan bir çalış-mada beyin zarlarında omega-3 eksikliği sonucu oluşan artmış AA/DHA oranı, diğer beyin yapılarındaki oran ile karşı-laştırıldığında (kortekste üç kat ve striatumda iki kat artış) epifiz bezinde daha yüksek bulunmuştur (kontrollere göre sekiz kat artış).…”