Specific fatty acid alterations have been described in the blood and tissues of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The principal alterations include decreased levels of linoleic acid (LA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). We investigated the potential mechanisms of these alterations by studying the cellular uptake of LA and DHA, their distribution among lipid classes, and the metabolism of LA in a hu...

Inflammatory lipid mediators derived from arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) modify the pathophysiology of brain ischemia. The goal of this work was to investigate the formation of eicosanoids and docosanoids generated from AA and DHA, respectively, during no-flow cerebral ischemia. Rats were subjected to head-focused microwave irradiation 5 min following decapitation (complet...

BACKGROUND Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6) upon fatty acid composition, oxidative and inflammatory factors and aging proteins in brain of d-galactose (DG) treated aging mice were examined. METHODS Each fatty acid at 7 mg/kg BW/week was supplied for 8 weeks. Brain aging was induced by DG treatment (100 mg/kg body weight) via daily subcutaneous ...

The omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) as their biosynthesis requires precursors: linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n-6), linolenic acid (ALA; 18: 3n-3); which can only be obtained through diet. Higher mammals cannot synthesize these precursors as they lack the enzymes (Δ9-, Δ12and Δ15desaturases) which are responsible for the synthesis of linoleic acid and linolenic acid, he...

Long chain fatty acids influence inflammation through a variety of mechanisms; many of these are mediated by, or at least associated with, changes in fatty acid composition of cell membranes. Changes in these compositions can modify membrane fluidity, cell signaling leading to altered gene expression, and the pattern of lipid mediator production. Cell involved in the inflammatory response are t...

The etiology and treatment of mood disorders has not yet been elucidated. Omega (omega)-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids, which cannot be synthesized in the human body. Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are representative omega-3 fatty acids which are found in fish (eg., mackerel, herring, Chinook salmon) and vegetables (eg., flax, walnut, canola). The peripheral ...

The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic (DHA) inversely relates to neurological impairments with aging. However, limited non-dietary in vivo models specifically depleting brain DHA have direct linkage of aging processes. We discovered that loss long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 6 (ACSL6) depletes membrane phospholipid levels. Here, the effects depletion on behavioral and outcomes across natural pro...

Our aim was to examine the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) status of pregnant African-American women reporting to the antenatal clinic at Wayne State University in a longitudinal study design. Fatty acid compositions of plasma and erythrocyte total lipid extracts were determined and food frequency surveys were administered at 24 weeks of gestation, delivery, and 3 months postpartum for part...

The omega-3 (ω3) fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can suppress inflammation, specifically IL-1β production through poorly understood molecular mechanisms. Here, we show that DHA reduces macrophage IL-1β production by limiting inflammasome activation. Exposure to DHA reduced IL-1β production by ligands that stimulate the NLRP3, AIM2, and NAIP5/NLRC4 inflammasomes. The inhibition required Fr...

Low blood docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is reported in patients with phenylketonuria (PKU); however, the functional implications in adolescents and adults are unknown. This pilot study investigated the effect of supplemental DHA on cognitive performance in 33 females with PKU ages 12-47 years. Participants were randomly assigned to receive DHA (10mg/kg/day) or placebo for 4.5 months. Performance o...