DHA depletion in rat brain is associated with impairment on spatial learning and memory.

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) deficiency in brain on spatial learning and memory in rats. METHODS Sprague Dawley rats were fed with an n-3 fatty acid deficient diet for two generations to induce DHA depletion in brain. DHA in seven brain regions was analyzed using the gas-liquid chromatography. Morris water maze (MWM) was employed as an assessing index of spatial learning and memory in the n-3 fatty acid deficient adult rats of second generation. RESULTS Feeding an n-3 deficient diet for two generations depleted DHA differently by 39%-63% in the seven brain regions including cerebellum, medulla, hypothalamus, striatum, hippocampus, cortex and midbrain. The MWM test showed that the n-3 deficient rats took a longer time and swam a longer distance to find the escape platform than the n-3 Adq group. CONCLUSION The spatial learning and memory in adult rats are partially impaired by brain DHA depletion.