Essential fatty acid deficiency reduces cortical spreading depression propagation in rats: a two-generation study

Abstract

Cortical spreading depression (CSD) propagation was investigated in rats under dietary essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency over two generations (F1 and F2). Wistar rat dams received diets containing 5% fat either from coconut-oil (EFA-deficient) or soybean-oil (control). F1-pups received their dams' diets until the day of CSD recording (30-40 days or 90-100 days). F2-pups were kept on their F1 dams' diet until 30-40 days. Compared to the controls, the EFA-deficient group had reduced (P < 0.05) body weights in both F1 and F2 conditions. This effect was more conspicuous (P < 0.001) in the F2-animals where brain weight was also reduced (P < 0.05). All EFA-deficient groups displayed lower CSD velocities (P < 0.001) than the corresponding controls. Within the same dietary group and generation, F1 young rats showed higher CSD velocities (P < 0.001) than adults. Data show that EFA deficiency reduces CSD propagation, and this effect is long lasting as it persists up to the second generation.

Differential vulnerability of substantia nigra and corpus striatum to oxidative insult induced by reduced dietary levels of essential fatty acids

“…The significant lower body weight gain of adult EF1 and young EF2 animals is in agreement with previous studies using coconut oil as the only source of dietary lipids (Deuel et al, 1954; Soares et al, 1995; Borba et al, 2010). Regarding this effect, this type of dietary treatment has been associated with dysfunction of growth hormone regulation (Soares et al, 1995).…”

Dopaminergic cell populations of the rat substantia nigra are differentially affected by essential fatty acid dietary restriction over two generations

“…The smaller body weight in the EF2 group is in agreement with previous studies using coconut oil as the only source of dietary lipids for one (Deuel et al, 1954;Soares et al, 1995) or two generations (Borba et al, 2010). Regarding this effect, it has been speculated that coconut oil can reduce body weight gain due to higher fatty acid turnover rates of the saturated medium chain fatty acids (8:0-14:0) which are oxidized more rapidly than long chain fatty acids (Hargrave et al, 2005).…”

Lipids, Nutrition and Development

“…Although this dietary treatment has been offered during a period of an intense growth and body development, it did not compromise the body weight gain of the pups over the lactation period. These data are similar to those found in a previous study of our laboratory when rats fed a diet containing 5%coconut-oil or soybeanoil during pregnancy and lactation did not show significant changes in body weight gain from P0 to P21 when compared to the control group (Borba et al, 2010). Santillán et al, (2010) did not find differences in the body weight of mice fed a commercial diet enriched with soybean or sunflower oil diet over gestation and lactation when compared with those fed a commercial diet.…”