Intraamniotic ethyl docosahexaenoate administration protects fetal rat brain from ischemic stress.

Abstract

Studies were conducted on the prenatal rat given a single intraamniotic injection of ethyl docosahexaenoate (Et-DHA; 9.6-12 mmol per fetus) or subjected to an n-3 fatty acid-deficient diet to assess the role of docosahexaenoate on oxidative stress during episodes of ischemia. A time-dependent decrease in the ability of brain slices from animals treated with Et-DHA to produce thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS), most pronounced after 1 day (from 58.1 +/- 4.22 to 15.9 +/- 1.6 nmol/mg of DNA), was noticed on stimulation with Fe2+. Brain slices from fetuses treated for 1 day with Et-DHA and those from untreated fetuses produced TBARS levels of 46.7 +/- 6.5 and 114.8 +/- 10.8 nmol/mg of DNA, respectively, after a 20-min occlusion of the fetal-maternal circulation at embryonic day 20, suggesting a protective effect of Et-DHA. The protective effect of a single dose of Et-DHA in utero remained high up to 3 days after injection (p < 0.001) and was long-lasting, yet not significant, up to 3 days following birth. In agreement with a reduction in TBARS production by slices, the endogenous levels of TBARS in brains of Et-DHA-treated animals were lower than in the controls. Et-DHA-injected fetuses exhibited significantly higher levels of esterified DHA than the noninjected controls. n-3-deficient diet given to dams for 2 weeks before birth did not affect the levels of TBARS production in control fetal brain slices but abolished the increase caused by ischemia. Et-DHA administration for 24 h to n-3-deficient fetuses reduced the amount of TBARS produced by the fetal brain slices from 49.1 +/- 8.5 to 31.7 +/- 4.1 nmol/mg of DNA. A protective effect from oxidative damage after postischemic oxidative stress in fetal brain following DHA supplements is suggested, whereas the effect of n-3 fatty acid deficiency in this regard is more ambiguous.

• Authors: S Glozman, P Green, E Yavin
• Journal: Journal of neurochemistry (J Neurochem) Vol. 70 Issue 6 Pg. 2484-91 (Jun 1998) ISSN: 0022-3042 [Print] England
• PMID: 9603213 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Fatty Acids, Omega-3
• Lipid Peroxides
• Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances
• Docosahexaenoic Acids
• 4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid ethyl ester

Topics

• Amnion
• Animals
• Brain (drug effects, embryology, metabolism)
• Diet, Fat-Restricted
• Docosahexaenoic Acids (administration & dosage, pharmacology)
• Fatty Acids, Omega-3 (administration & dosage, metabolism)
• Female
• Fetus (blood supply, metabolism)
• Injections
• Ischemia (metabolism)
• Lipid Peroxides (metabolism)
• Oxidative Stress (drug effects)
• Placenta (blood supply)
• Pregnancy
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Reperfusion
• Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (metabolism)