Fish Oil Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Fish Oil, including details on omega-3, dosage, health benefits, diet.

Chronic administration of ethyl docosahexaenoate decreases mortality and cerebral edema in ischemic gerbils.

Cao D, Li M, Xue R, Zheng W, Liu Z, Wang X

Department of Biology, Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Jiangsu 210093, PR China.

Dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake can decrease the level of membrane arachidonic acid (AA), which is liberated during cerebral ischemia and implicated in the pathogenesis of brain damage. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic ethyl docosahexaenoate (E-DHA) administration on mortality and cerebral edema induced by transient forebrain ischemia in gerbils. Male Mongolian gerbils were orally pretreated with either E-DHA (100, 150 mg/kg) or vehicle, once a day, for 4 weeks and were subjected to transient forebrain ischemia by bilateral common carotid occlusion for 30 min. The content of brain lipid AA at the termination of treatment, the survival ratio, change of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), brain free AA level, thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) production and cerebral edema formation following ischemia and reperfusion were evaluated. E-DHA (150 mg/kg) pretreatment significantly increased survival ratio, prevented post-ischemic hypoperfusion and attenuated cerebral edema after reperfusion compared with vehicle, which was well associated with the reduced levels of AA and TXB(2) in the E-DHA treated brain. These data suggest that the effects of E-DHA pretreatment on ischemic mortality and cerebral edema could be due to reduction of free AA liberation and accumulation, and its metabolite synthesis after ischemia and reperfusion by decreasing the content of membrane AA.

Published 31 October 2005 in Life Sci, 78(1): 74-81.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Fish Oil Research Today. All Rights Reserved.