Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10872364 | FEBS Letters | 2010 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the major polyunsaturated fatty acid in neuronal cell membranes. We hypothesize that DHA induces a decrease in neuronal cell death through reduced ZnT3 expression and zinc uptake. Exposure of M17 cells to DHA-deficient medium increased the levels of active caspase-3, relative to levels in DHA-replete cells, confirming the adverse effects of DHA deficiency in promoting neuronal cell death. In DHA-treated M17 cells, zinc uptake was 65% less and ZnT3 mRNA and protein levels were reduced in comparison with DHA-depleted cells. We propose that the neuroprotective function of DHA is exerted through a reduction in cellular zinc levels that in turn inhibits apoptosis.
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Authors
Cenk Suphioglu, Damitha De Mel, Loveleen Kumar, Nadia Sadli, David Freestone, Agnes Michalczyk, Andrew Sinclair, M. Leigh Ackland,