Submitted on July 19, 2007
Revised on October 29, 2007
Accepted on November 7, 2007
n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation reverses stress-induced modifications on brain monoamine levels in mice
Sylvie Vancassel, Samuel Leman, Lévon Hanonick, Sylvie Denis, Jonathan Roger, Mathieu Nollet, Sylvie Bodard, Isabelle Kousignian, Catherine Belzung, and Sylvie Chalon
Lab Biophysique, Inserm U619, Tours 37200
Corresponding Author: sylvie.chalon{at}univ-tours.fr
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on stress responses in mice subjected to an unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) procedure. Stress-induced modifications in coat and aggressiveness were evaluated, and phospholipid PUFA profiles and monoamine levels were analyzed in the frontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum. The results showed that repeated exposure to mild stressors induced degradation in the physical state of the coat, lowered body weight gain and increased aggressiveness, without any effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation. The UCMS induced a significant decrease in the levels of norepinephrine (NE) in the frontal cortex and striatum, and a non significant decrease in the hippocampus. The tissue levels of serotonin (5-HT) were 40 to 65% decreased in the 3 studied brain regions. Interestingly, the n-3 PUFA supplementation reversed this stress-induced reduction in 5-HT levels. These findings showed that supplementation in n-3 long-chain PUFA might reverse certain effects of UCMS in cerebral structures involved in stress-related behaviors.
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