ω-3脂肪酸的一種,，二十二碳六烯酸(docosahexaenoic acid, DHA),，圖片來自維基共享資源。
根據(jù)2012年1月11日發(fā)表在The Journal of Neuroscience期刊上的一項(xiàng)新研究,，諸如在魚油中發(fā)現(xiàn)的ω-3脂肪酸可能應(yīng)用于阻止神經(jīng)損傷和愈合神經(jīng)損傷,。
英國瑪麗皇后大學(xué)研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)來自含有高水平內(nèi)源性ω-3脂肪酸的小鼠的神經(jīng)元免受拉伸或氧氣匱乏誘導(dǎo)的損傷。
科學(xué)家比較了表達(dá)fat-1---一種來自線蟲(C. elegans)的脂肪酸去飽和酶,，將ω-6脂肪酸轉(zhuǎn)化為ω-3脂肪酸---小鼠的神經(jīng)元和野生小鼠中的那些神經(jīng)元,。
研究人員給這兩組小鼠喂食富含ω-6脂肪酸的食物，導(dǎo)致表達(dá)fat-1 的小鼠中存在高水平的循環(huán)流通的ω-3脂肪酸,。當(dāng)研究人員讓小鼠神經(jīng)元遭受拉伸或低氧條件時,，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)來自表達(dá)fat-1 的小鼠的神經(jīng)元相比于富含ω-6脂肪酸的野生型小鼠神經(jīng)元表現(xiàn)出更少的損傷。類似地,，表達(dá)fat-1 的小鼠遭受坐骨神經(jīng)損傷后要比野生型小鼠更快地恢復(fù)知覺,。研究人員根據(jù)這些研究結(jié)果推測較高的內(nèi)源性ω-3脂肪酸水平可能產(chǎn)生抗神經(jīng)損傷的保護(hù)作用。(生物谷：towersimper編譯)
doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3371-11.2012
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PMID:
Improved Outcome after Peripheral Nerve Injury in Mice with Increased Levels of Endogenous Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
Stacy J. Gladman, Wenlong Huang, Siew-Na Lim, Simon C. Dyall, Sophie Boddy, Jing X. Kang, Martin M. Knight, John V. Priestley, and Adina T. Michael-Titus
Functional recovery after a peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is often poor. There is a need for therapies that protect neurons against injury and enhance regeneration. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to have therapeutic potential in a variety of neurological disorders, including acute traumatic injury. The objective of this study was to assess the neuroprotective and pro-regenerative potential of ω-3 PUFAs in PNI. We investigated this in mice that express the fat-1 gene encoding for ω-3 fatty acid desaturase, which leads to an increase in endogenous ω-3 PUFAs and a concomitant decrease in ω-6 PUFAs. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from wild-type or fat-1 mice were subjected to a mechanical strain or hypoxic injury, and cell death was assessed using ethidium homodimer-1 labeling. The fat-1 background appears to confer robust neuroprotection against both injuries. We then examined the early functional and morphological changes in wild-type and fat-1 mice after a sciatic nerve crush. An accelerated functional recovery 7 d after injury was seen in fat-1 mice when assessed using von Frey filaments and the sciatic nerve functional index. These observations were also mapped to changes in injury-related markers. The injury-induced expression of ATF-3 was decreased in the DRG of fat-1 mice, whereas the axons detected 6 mm distal to the crush were increased. Fat-1 animals also had some protection against muscle atrophy after injury. In conclusion, both in vitro and in vivo experiments support the idea that a higher endogenous ω-3 PUFA could lead to beneficial effects after a PNI.
