Mechanisms of action of docosahexaenoic acid in the nervous system

By N. Salem, B. Litman, Hee-Yong Kim, K. Gawrisch. Lipids, 2001

962 citations recorded by the source corpus.

AbtractThis review describes (from both the animal and human literature) the biological consequences of losses in nervous system docosahexaenoate (DHA). It then concentrates on biological mechanisms that may serve to explain changes in brain and retinal function. Brief consideration is given to actions of DHA as a nonesterified fatty acid and as a docosanoid or other bioactive molecule. The role of DHA-phospholipids in regulating G-protein signaling is presented in the context of studies with rhodopsin. It is clear that the visual pigment responds to the degree of unsaturation of the membrane lipids. At the cell biological level, DHA is shown to have a protective role in a cell culture model of apoptosis in relation to its effects in increasing cellular phosphatidylserine (PS); also, the loss of DHA leads to a loss in PS. Thus, through its effects on PS, DHA may play an important role in the regulation of cell signaling and in cell proliferation. Finally, progress has been made recently in nuclear magnetic responance studies to delineate differences in molecular structure and order in biomembranes due to subtle changes in the degree of phospholipid unsaturation.

Subfields: Biochemistry, Nutrition and Dietetics, Surgery

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/717d364c2aab38d36d541a1f2b29b591cfa78ea3

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Biochemistry

1. P. Calder
2. C. Serhan
3. I. Djuricić
4. Chia Nan
5. Emily Y. Chew
6. J. Sangiovanni
7. Y. Keum
8. R. Saini

In Nutrition and Dietetics

1. P. Calder
2. C. Serhan
3. I. Djuricić
4. Chia Nan
5. Emily Y. Chew
6. J. Sangiovanni
7. T. V. Van Dyke
8. Y. Keum

In Surgery

1. P. Calder
2. C. Serhan
3. I. Djuricić
4. Emily Y. Chew
5. J. Sangiovanni
6. D. Mozaffarian
7. B. Levy
8. Christopher K. Glass

Citations in the corpus

• Beneficial Outcomes of Omega-6 and Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Human Health: An Update for 2021 (2021, background): “DHA is the most abundant 338 omega-3 fatty acid in the central nervous system and retina [80], which is not surprising 339 given its roles: it is important for neurotransmission, neuroplasticity and signal transduc- 340 tion [81,82,83,84].”
• Increased dietary intake of ω-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces pathological retinal angiogenesis (2007, background): “These can then be converted to bioactive intermediaries such as eicosanoids from arachidonic acid, neuroprotectins from DHA, D series resolvins from DHA and E series resolvins from EP”
• The Influence of Exercise on Cognitive Abilities (2013, neutral): “is an important constituent of neuronal plasma membrane phospholipids, reaching up to a 17% concentration of the total fatty acids (95, 156).”
• Omega-3 fatty acids: evidence basis for treatment and future research in psychiatry. (2006, background): “Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) are of particular interest, as they are selectively concentrated in synaptic neuronal membranes and regulate vascular and immune functions that affect the central nervous system.(4) Because omega-3 EFA are available from dietary sources only, it is likely that the”
• Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids: Dietary sources, metabolism, and significance - A review. (2018, background): “important role as extra- and intracellular signaling molecules [62].”