Docosahexaenoic acid enrichment attenuates hydrogen peroxide-mediated cytotoxicity in glial- and neuron-like cells: a preliminary assessment

Abstract

The high metabolic activity and lipid content of the brain make it prone and vulnerable to oxidative conditions which may result in neurodegeneration. Exogenous docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation has shown promising results in its ability to prevent apoptosis and inflammation in several human and rat models. In this preliminary assessment, we investigated the effects of DHA supplementation against oxidative stress on canine glial- and neuron-like cells. When exposed to oxidative conditions, DHA-enriched cells had higher survivability based on the data we obtained from cell viability studies, gene expression analyses, in situ TUNEL staining, and immunocytochemistry. Our data suggests that DHA enrichment in canine glial- and neuron-like cells can protect the cells against oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity through its anti-apoptotic actions and its potential involvement in neuronal membrane signaling mechanisms.