Effect of Dietary n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Brain Lipid Fatty Acid Composition, Learning Ability, and Memory of Senescence-Accelerated Mouse

Animal studies have shown that a deficiency in brain of the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is associated with memory loss and diminished cognitive function. The senescence-accelerated prone 8 (SAMP8) mouse develops impairments in learning and memory at 8-12 months of age. The effect of diet supplemented with n-3 PUFA on brain phospholipid DHA status, learning, and memory ability in aged SAMP8 mice was investigated. At the age of 10 months, SAMP8 mice were fed either a low-DHA or a high-DHA diet for 8 weeks. In comparison to SAMP8 mice fed the low-DHA diet, those fed a high-DHA diet had improved acquisition and retention in a T-maze foot shock avoidance test and a higher proportion of DHA in hippocampal and amygdala phospholipids. This study demonstrates that, in mature animals, DHA is incorporated into brain phospholipids and that dietary n-3 PUFA is associated with delay in cognitive decline.