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Dietary Enrichment with Medium Chain Triglycerides (AC-1203) Elevates Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Parietal Cortex of Aged Dogs: Implications for Treating Age-Related Cognitive Decline

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Abstract

Dogs demonstrate an age-related cognitive decline, which may be related to a decrease in the concentration of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in the brain. Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) increase fatty acid oxidation, and it has been suggested that this may raise brain n-3 PUFA levels by increasing mobilization of n-3 PUFA from adipose tissue to the brain. The goal of the present study was to determine whether dietary MCT would raise n-3 PUFA concentrations in the brains of aged dogs. Eight Beagle dogs were randomized to a control diet (n = 4) or an MCT (AC-1203) enriched diet (n = 4) for 2 months. The animals were then euthanized and the parietal cortex was removed for phospholipid, cholesterol and fatty acid determinations by gas-chromatography. Dietary enrichment with MCT (AC-1203) resulted in a significant increase in brain phospholipid and total lipid concentrations (P < 0.05). In particular, n-3 PUFA within the phospholipid, unesterified fatty acid, and total lipid fractions were elevated in AC-1203 treated subjects as compared to controls (P < 0.05). Brain cholesterol concentrations did not differ significantly between the groups (P > 0.05). These results indicate that dietary enrichment with MCT, raises n-3 PUFA concentrations in the parietal cortex of aged dogs.

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Abbreviations

MCT:

Medium chain triglycerides

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Christa M. Studzinski for her assistance and Dr. David W.L. Ma for his support and expert advice. Financial support for this study was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Accera Inc. A.Y.T is a recipient of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Doctoral Research Award (Fredrick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships). The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, Rm 4309, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada

    Ameer Y. Taha & W. M. Burnham

  2. Epilepsy Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada

    Ameer Y. Taha & W. M. Burnham

  3. Accera Inc., Broomfield, CO, 80021, USA

    Samuel T. Henderson

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  1. Ameer Y. Taha
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  2. Samuel T. Henderson
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  3. W. M. Burnham
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Correspondence to Ameer Y. Taha.

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Taha, A.Y., Henderson, S.T. & Burnham, W.M. Dietary Enrichment with Medium Chain Triglycerides (AC-1203) Elevates Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Parietal Cortex of Aged Dogs: Implications for Treating Age-Related Cognitive Decline. Neurochem Res 34, 1619–1625 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-009-9952-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-009-9952-5

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