Effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on cognitive functions and neural substrates: a voxel-based morphometry study in aged mice
Human and experimental studies have revealed putative neuroprotective and pro-cognitive effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in aging, evidencing positive correlations between peripheral n-3 PUFA levels and regional grey matter (GM) volume, as well as negative correlations betwe...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2016-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00038/full |
| _version_ | 1819094407973961728 |
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| author | Debora eCutuli Debora eCutuli Marco ePagani Marco ePagani Paola eCaporali Alberto eGalbusera Daniela eLaricchiuta Daniela eLaricchiuta Francesca eFoti Francesca eFoti Cristina eNeri Gianfranco eSpalletta Carlo eCaltagirone Carlo eCaltagirone Laura ePetrosini Laura ePetrosini Alessandro eGozzi |
| author_facet | Debora eCutuli Debora eCutuli Marco ePagani Marco ePagani Paola eCaporali Alberto eGalbusera Daniela eLaricchiuta Daniela eLaricchiuta Francesca eFoti Francesca eFoti Cristina eNeri Gianfranco eSpalletta Carlo eCaltagirone Carlo eCaltagirone Laura ePetrosini Laura ePetrosini Alessandro eGozzi |
| author_sort | Debora eCutuli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Human and experimental studies have revealed putative neuroprotective and pro-cognitive effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in aging, evidencing positive correlations between peripheral n-3 PUFA levels and regional grey matter (GM) volume, as well as negative correlations between dietary n-3 PUFA levels and cognitive deficits. We recently showed that n-3 PUFA supplemented aged mice exhibit better hippocampal-dependent mnesic functions, along with enhanced cellular plasticity and reduced neurodegeneration, thus supporting a role of n-3 PUFA supplementation in preventing cognitive decline during aging. To corroborate these initial results and develop new evidence on the effects of n-3 PUFA supplementation on brain substrates at macro-scale level, here we expanded behavioral analyses to the emotional domain (anxiety and coping skills), and carried out a fine-grained regional GM volumetric mapping by using high-resolution MRI-based voxel-based morphometry. The behavioral effects of 8 week n-3 PUFA supplementation were measured on cognitive (discriminative, spatial and social) and emotional (anxiety and coping) abilities of aged (19 month-old at the onset of study) C57B6/J mice. n-3 PUFA supplemented mice showed better mnesic performances as well as increased active coping skills. Importantly, these effects were associated with enlarged regional hippocampal, retrosplenial and prefrontal GM volumes, and with increased post mortem n-3 PUFA brain levels. These findings indicate that increased dietary n-3 PUFA intake in normal aging can improve fronto-hippocampal GM structure and function, an effect present also when the supplementation starts at late age. Our data are consistent with a protective role of n-3 PUFA supplementation in counteracting cognitive decline, emotional dysfunctions and brain atrophy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T23:26:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9522e6c4cf524d21ba4b9f767f2ff2df |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1663-4365 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T23:26:55Z |
| publishDate | 2016-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-9522e6c4cf524d21ba4b9f767f2ff2df2022-12-21T18:46:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience1663-43652016-03-01810.3389/fnagi.2016.00038171975Effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on cognitive functions and neural substrates: a voxel-based morphometry study in aged miceDebora eCutuli0Debora eCutuli1Marco ePagani2Marco ePagani3Paola eCaporali4Alberto eGalbusera5Daniela eLaricchiuta6Daniela eLaricchiuta7Francesca eFoti8Francesca eFoti9Cristina eNeri10Gianfranco eSpalletta11Carlo eCaltagirone12Carlo eCaltagirone13Laura ePetrosini14Laura ePetrosini15Alessandro eGozzi16Santa Lucia FoundationUniversity of Rome SapienzaIstituto Italiano di TecnologiaUniversity of TrentoUniversity of Rome SapienzaIstituto Italiano di TecnologiaSanta Lucia FoundationUniversity of Rome SapienzaSanta Lucia FoundationUniversity of Rome SapienzaSanta Lucia FoundationSanta Lucia FoundationSanta Lucia FoundationUniversity “Tor Vergata” of RomeSanta Lucia FoundationUniversity of Rome SapienzaIstituto Italiano di TecnologiaHuman and experimental studies have revealed putative neuroprotective and pro-cognitive effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in aging, evidencing positive correlations between peripheral n-3 PUFA levels and regional grey matter (GM) volume, as well as negative correlations between dietary n-3 PUFA levels and cognitive deficits. We recently showed that n-3 PUFA supplemented aged mice exhibit better hippocampal-dependent mnesic functions, along with enhanced cellular plasticity and reduced neurodegeneration, thus supporting a role of n-3 PUFA supplementation in preventing cognitive decline during aging. To corroborate these initial results and develop new evidence on the effects of n-3 PUFA supplementation on brain substrates at macro-scale level, here we expanded behavioral analyses to the emotional domain (anxiety and coping skills), and carried out a fine-grained regional GM volumetric mapping by using high-resolution MRI-based voxel-based morphometry. The behavioral effects of 8 week n-3 PUFA supplementation were measured on cognitive (discriminative, spatial and social) and emotional (anxiety and coping) abilities of aged (19 month-old at the onset of study) C57B6/J mice. n-3 PUFA supplemented mice showed better mnesic performances as well as increased active coping skills. Importantly, these effects were associated with enlarged regional hippocampal, retrosplenial and prefrontal GM volumes, and with increased post mortem n-3 PUFA brain levels. These findings indicate that increased dietary n-3 PUFA intake in normal aging can improve fronto-hippocampal GM structure and function, an effect present also when the supplementation starts at late age. Our data are consistent with a protective role of n-3 PUFA supplementation in counteracting cognitive decline, emotional dysfunctions and brain atrophy.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00038/fullAgingcognitive declineOmega-3 fatty AcidsMRI imagingVoxel-based morphometry (VBM)Dietary supplementation |
| spellingShingle | Debora eCutuli Debora eCutuli Marco ePagani Marco ePagani Paola eCaporali Alberto eGalbusera Daniela eLaricchiuta Daniela eLaricchiuta Francesca eFoti Francesca eFoti Cristina eNeri Gianfranco eSpalletta Carlo eCaltagirone Carlo eCaltagirone Laura ePetrosini Laura ePetrosini Alessandro eGozzi Effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on cognitive functions and neural substrates: a voxel-based morphometry study in aged mice Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience Aging cognitive decline Omega-3 fatty Acids MRI imaging Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) Dietary supplementation |
| title | Effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on cognitive functions and neural substrates: a voxel-based morphometry study in aged mice |
| title_full | Effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on cognitive functions and neural substrates: a voxel-based morphometry study in aged mice |
| title_fullStr | Effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on cognitive functions and neural substrates: a voxel-based morphometry study in aged mice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on cognitive functions and neural substrates: a voxel-based morphometry study in aged mice |
| title_short | Effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on cognitive functions and neural substrates: a voxel-based morphometry study in aged mice |
| title_sort | effects of omega 3 fatty acid supplementation on cognitive functions and neural substrates a voxel based morphometry study in aged mice |
| topic | Aging cognitive decline Omega-3 fatty Acids MRI imaging Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) Dietary supplementation |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00038/full |
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