Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid improves spatial learning and hippocampal Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptors (PPARα and PPARγ) gene expression in rats

Abstract

BackgroundThis study examined the effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) as different n-6: n-3 ratios on spatial learning and gene expression of peroxisome- proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in the hippocampus of rats. Thirty male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly allotted into 3 groups of ten animals each and received experimental diets with different n-6: n-3 PUFA ratios of either 65:1, 22:1 or 4.5:1. After 10 weeks, the spatial memory of the animals was assessed using the Morris Water Maze test. The expression of PPARα and PPARγ genes were determined using real-time PCR.ResultsDecreasing dietary n-6: n-3 PUFA ratios improved the cognitive performance of animals in the Morris water maze test along with the upregulation of PPARα and PPARγ gene expression. The animals with the lowest dietary n-6: n-3 PUFA ratio presented the highest spatial learning improvement and PPAR gene expression.ConclusionIt can be concluded that modulation of n-6: n-3 PUFA ratios in the diet may lead to increased hippocampal PPAR gene expression and consequently improved spatial learning and memory in rats.

Cloning and characterization of SREBP-1 and PPAR-α in Japanese seabass Lateolabrax japonicus, and their gene expressions in response to different dietary fatty acid profiles

“…The diets enriched with n−3 PUFA, in particular C18:3n − 3, significantly up-regulated the PPAR-α2 transcript level compared to diets enriched with monounsaturated fatty acids. This was consistent with the stimulation of mammalian PPAR-α by PUFA, in particular C18:3n − 3 (Sekiya et al, 2003;Gani, 2008;Harnack et al, 2009;Hajjar et al, 2012;Lee and Song, 2012;Schmidt et al, 2012;Strand et al, 2012;Devarshi et al, 2013). PPAR-α2 of Japanese seabass was possibly primarily involved in fatty acid oxidation, as have been demonstrated in mammals.…”

Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids enhance the protective effect of levetiracetam against seizures, cognitive impairment and hippocampal oxidative DNA damage in young kindled rats

“…The DHA antioxidant effect is mediated by inhibiting ROS production and calcium influx, and increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes catalase, GSH-Px and glutathione reductase (Liu et al, 2012). These effects can be mediated through enhancing the expression of certain genes such as glutamate cysteine ligase (Patten et al, 2013) and peroxisome proliferating factor receptors (PPARα and PPARγ) (Hajjar et al, 2012) and modulating the Nrf-2/HO-1 pathway (Kusunoki et al, 2013).…”

Autism as a disorder of deficiency of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and altered metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids

“…AA and DHA enhance acetylcholine (ACh) release, which modulates long-term potentiation (LTP) and synaptic plasticity, and thus, improve learning ability in experimental animals [47]. Several clinical studies did suggest that supplementing infants with AA, EPA, and DHA significantly improved their cognitive development and memory [48,49]. DHA reversed the age-related and phospholipase A 2 -induced impairment in LTP and depolarization-induced glutamate transmitter release and improved memory [50][51][52][53][54].…”