Title: Endogenous Signaling by Omega-3 Docosahexaenoic Acid-derived Mediators Sustains Homeostatic Synaptic and Circuitry Integrity
Author: Nicolas G. Bazan, Alberto E. Musto, Eric J. Knott
Link: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12035-011-8200-6
Summary: The system of synapses and circuits within the brain is extremely complex, and has to be maintained by a variety of factors including "excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, neurotrophins, gene regulation, and [other] factors". Almost all components of the brain circuit (dendrites, synaptic membranes, other membranes in the nervous system) contain high levels of DHA. DHA is also known as docosahexaenoic acid, and it is a main component of the "omega-3 essential fatty acid family." This DHA in the nervous system helps to protect the nervous system, as well as help with one's memory and vision. After observing that the amount of free (unesterified) DHA molecules found in the brain rapidly increases during the onset of seizures or brain injury, scientists began to hypothesize that DHA-derived docosanoids "set in motion endogenous signaling to sustain homeostatic synaptic and circuit integrity." Synaptic integrity is "a functional synaptic unit with unimpaired neuronal transmission". This hypothesis was offered largely due to the discovery of the neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1), which is the first-uncovered bioactive docosanoid formed from free DHA (through 15-LOX-1). NPD1 is anti-inflammatory and induces cell survival. Specifically, NPD1 "upregulates anti-apoptotic proteins and downregulates pro-apoptotic proteins in response to cellular oxidative stress and cytokine activation, leading to an overall pro-survival transcriptome". This research offers promise for medicinal related DHA-mediated signalling to help maintain synaptic integrity. To summarize, omega-3s (specifically DHA), can help maintain the synaptic integrity of an individual by utilizing endogenous signaling to prevent inflammation in the brain and induce cell survival.
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