精神－神経疾患の発症とn-3系脂肪酸

抄録

Fatty acids are an important source of energy and an essential component of cell membranes. They also function as signal transduction molecules in a range of biological phenomena. There are several reports on the transport mechanisms of fatty acids including fatty acid transport proteins, and lipid chaperones fatty acid-binding proteins. Furthermore, fatty acids can signal through G-protein-coupled receptors or toll-like receptors.
The recent westernization of dietary habits and food satiation is becoming a problem. Accordingly, the dietary intake ratio of n-3 fatty acids has dramatically decreased over several decades. Although the health influence in the change of these food habits has received little attention, in a recent study, the functional relationship between n-3 fatty acids and psychiatric disease or neurodegenerative disease has been the focus of many studies. Also, it has become apparent that the functional properties of fatty acids are modulated by factors such as the amount of individual fatty acid intake and their distribution among organs.
In particular, it is reported that, in patients with depression, n-3 fatty acid contents in the brain decrease and the intake of the n-3 fatty acids can relieve psychiatric symptoms of depression. Therefore, it is thought that a fatty acid signal in the central nervous system relates to nerve activity and modulation of the synapse plasticity. However, the detailed mechanisms of these disorders have not been fully elucidated.
In this mini review, we summarize a number of basic and clinical studies on n-3 fatty acids and psychiatric diseases and neurodegenerative disorders.