2-Decenoic acid ethyl ester, a derivative of unsaturated medium-chain fatty acids, facilitates functional recovery of locomotor activity after spinal cord injury.

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have therapeutic potential in various animal models of neuronal injury. However, very few studies have examined the effect of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) on neuronal injury. So in the present study we synthesized various MCFAs and their derivatives, and found that exposure to trans-2-decenoic acid ethyl ester (DAEE) markedly activated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) in cultured cortical neurons. Therefore, we examined the effect of DAEE treatment on a rat model of spinal cord injury. DAEE (150 μg/kg body weight) administered after hemisection of the spinal cord resulted in improved functional recovery, decreased the lesion size, increased the activation of ERK1/2, and enhanced the expression of bcl-2 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA in the injury site of the spinal cord. Furthermore, it also increased neuronal survival after spinal cord injury. These results indicate that the possibility that DAEE will become a promising tool for reducing the secondary damage observed following primary physical injury to the spinal cord.

• Authors: A Hirakawa, K Shimizu, H Fukumitsu, H Soumiya, M Iinuma, S Furukawa
• Journal: Neuroscience (Neuroscience) Vol. 171 Issue 4 Pg. 1377-85 (Dec 29 2010) ISSN: 1873-7544 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20933583 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2010 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
• Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated
• Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
• Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
• RNA, Messenger
• 2-decenoic acid
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3
• Phosphopyruvate Hydratase

Topics

• Analysis of Variance
• Animals
• Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (genetics, metabolism)
• Cells, Cultured
• Cerebral Cortex (cytology)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Embryo, Mammalian
• Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated (therapeutic use)
• Fatty Acids, Unsaturated (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic (drug effects)
• Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (metabolism)
• Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 (metabolism)
• Motor Activity (drug effects)
• Neurons (drug effects, metabolism)
• Phosphopyruvate Hydratase (metabolism)
• Phosphorylation (drug effects)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 (genetics, metabolism)
• RNA, Messenger (metabolism)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Recovery of Function (drug effects)
• Spinal Cord Injuries (drug therapy, physiopathology)