Progress and Prospects in Parkinson's Research/Therapy/Neuroprotection/DHA

"DHA offers pointers to new potential forms of neuroprotection."

Background
DHA or Docoaheaenoic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid that is a primary structural component of the human brain, sperm, testicles and retina.

Research
2003

Wang et al tested the effects of DHA on rats. They found:-

"DHA at 5-50 microg/ml successfully protected neurons against the cytotoxicity, markedly increased the cell viability, inhibited both nitric oxide (NO) production and calcium influx, and increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione reductase (GR)."

2006

Samadi et al tested the effect of the application of DHA to monkeys treated with MPTP to induce levadopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). Their findings were that :-

"These results suggest that DHA can reduce the severity or delay the development of LIDs in a nonhuman primate model of Parkinson's disease."

2008

Cansey et al worked with rats rendered Parkinsonian by the administration of 6-OHDA. They were then treated with uridine-5’-monophosphate (UMP) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

"Rats receiving UMP, DHA, both, or neither, daily, and intrastriatal 6-OHDA 3 days after treatment onset, were tested for d-amphetamine-induced rotational behavior and dopaminergic markers after 24 and 28 days, respectively. UMP/DHA treatment reduced ipsilateral rotations by 57% and significantly elevated striatal dopamine, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity, TH protein and Synapsin-1 on the lesioned side. Hence, giving uridine and DHA may partially restore dopaminergic neurotransmission in this model of Parkinson’s Disease."

Bousquet et al tested the hypothesis that omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may exert neuroprotective action in Parkinson's disease, by putting mice on a high PUFA diet and then inducing Parkunsonism with MPTP.

The result was a mix of good and bad news but there was sufficient of the former to warrant the conclusion:-

"Taken together, these data suggest that a high n-3 PUFA dietary intake exerts neuroprotective actions in an animal model of Parkinsonism."

2011

Ozsoy et al tested the effect of DHA application on MPTP treated mice. They found that:-


 * Docosahexaenoic acid significantly diminished the amount of cell death in the MPTP+DHA group as compared to the MPTP group.


 * TBARS levels in the brain were significantly increased following MPTP treatment.


 * Glutathione_peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) activities of brain were unaltered in all groups.


 * The activity of brain superoxide dismutase (SOD) was decreased in the MPTP-treated group compared to the control group,
 * but DHA treatment did not have an effect on SOD activity in the MPTP+DHA group.