Short-Term Fish Oil Supplementation during Adolescence Supports Sex-Specific Impact on Adulthood Visuospatial Memory and Cognitive Flexibility
Numerous studies have supported benefits of omega-3 supplementation using Menhaden fish oil (FO) to promote brain maturation and plasticity during critical developmental periods. The goal of this study was to determine sex-specific immediate and delayed impact of adolescent omega-3 supplementation o...
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/17/3513 |
| _version_ | 1797493837084491776 |
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| author | Julie Raymond Alexandre Morin Marilou Poitras Hélène Plamondon |
| author_facet | Julie Raymond Alexandre Morin Marilou Poitras Hélène Plamondon |
| author_sort | Julie Raymond |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Numerous studies have supported benefits of omega-3 supplementation using Menhaden fish oil (FO) to promote brain maturation and plasticity during critical developmental periods. The goal of this study was to determine sex-specific immediate and delayed impact of adolescent omega-3 supplementation on visuospatial memory and cognitive flexibility. Sixty-four Wistar rats (<i>n</i> = 32 males and females) received daily FO or soybean oil (CSO) supplementation via oral gavage (0.3 mL/100 g body weight) from postnatal day 28–47. The Barnes Maze Test (BMT) was used to measure visuospatial memory and reversal learning trials (RL) determined cognitive flexibility. Juveniles underwent testing immediately after the gavage period, while adults began testing on postnatal day 90. Adult rats showed reduced working memory errors (WME) and gradual decrease in escape latencies compared to juveniles. Importantly, adult FO-supplemented females displayed fewer WME than males, while males’ performance benefited from CSO supplementation. Overall, sex- and supplementation-dependent effects supported a positive impact of FO in female rats only. Our findings support the potential for supplementation limited to the early adolescence period to influence adulthood spatial learning and cognitive flexibility in a sex-specific manner. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:25:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-3da645ef25c541c096d1d8bc274b2b652023-11-23T13:51:44ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432022-08-011417351310.3390/nu14173513Short-Term Fish Oil Supplementation during Adolescence Supports Sex-Specific Impact on Adulthood Visuospatial Memory and Cognitive FlexibilityJulie Raymond0Alexandre Morin1Marilou Poitras2Hélène Plamondon3Behavioural Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, CanadaBehavioural Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, CanadaBehavioural Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, CanadaBehavioural Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, CanadaNumerous studies have supported benefits of omega-3 supplementation using Menhaden fish oil (FO) to promote brain maturation and plasticity during critical developmental periods. The goal of this study was to determine sex-specific immediate and delayed impact of adolescent omega-3 supplementation on visuospatial memory and cognitive flexibility. Sixty-four Wistar rats (<i>n</i> = 32 males and females) received daily FO or soybean oil (CSO) supplementation via oral gavage (0.3 mL/100 g body weight) from postnatal day 28–47. The Barnes Maze Test (BMT) was used to measure visuospatial memory and reversal learning trials (RL) determined cognitive flexibility. Juveniles underwent testing immediately after the gavage period, while adults began testing on postnatal day 90. Adult rats showed reduced working memory errors (WME) and gradual decrease in escape latencies compared to juveniles. Importantly, adult FO-supplemented females displayed fewer WME than males, while males’ performance benefited from CSO supplementation. Overall, sex- and supplementation-dependent effects supported a positive impact of FO in female rats only. Our findings support the potential for supplementation limited to the early adolescence period to influence adulthood spatial learning and cognitive flexibility in a sex-specific manner.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/17/3513<i>n</i>-3 PUFAdocosahexaenoic acideicosapentaenoic acidsex-dependentage-dependentBarnes Maze Test |
| spellingShingle | Julie Raymond Alexandre Morin Marilou Poitras Hélène Plamondon Short-Term Fish Oil Supplementation during Adolescence Supports Sex-Specific Impact on Adulthood Visuospatial Memory and Cognitive Flexibility Nutrients <i>n</i>-3 PUFA docosahexaenoic acid eicosapentaenoic acid sex-dependent age-dependent Barnes Maze Test |
| title | Short-Term Fish Oil Supplementation during Adolescence Supports Sex-Specific Impact on Adulthood Visuospatial Memory and Cognitive Flexibility |
| title_full | Short-Term Fish Oil Supplementation during Adolescence Supports Sex-Specific Impact on Adulthood Visuospatial Memory and Cognitive Flexibility |
| title_fullStr | Short-Term Fish Oil Supplementation during Adolescence Supports Sex-Specific Impact on Adulthood Visuospatial Memory and Cognitive Flexibility |
| title_full_unstemmed | Short-Term Fish Oil Supplementation during Adolescence Supports Sex-Specific Impact on Adulthood Visuospatial Memory and Cognitive Flexibility |
| title_short | Short-Term Fish Oil Supplementation during Adolescence Supports Sex-Specific Impact on Adulthood Visuospatial Memory and Cognitive Flexibility |
| title_sort | short term fish oil supplementation during adolescence supports sex specific impact on adulthood visuospatial memory and cognitive flexibility |
| topic | <i>n</i>-3 PUFA docosahexaenoic acid eicosapentaenoic acid sex-dependent age-dependent Barnes Maze Test |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/17/3513 |
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