Summary
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SJL/J mice were maintained on semipurified diets which differed in the ratio of polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid content (P/S). Exposure was from conception and was maintained for periods ranging from 6 to 34 weeks.
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Neural cell cultures were prepared from dorsal root ganglia (DRG). After 6 and 20 days of culture, neuronal electric membrane properties were determined quantitatively by intracellular recording.
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A number of significant differences were observed for the two dietary conditions. DRG from mice on the low-P/s diet had an increase in the rate of fall of both phases of repolarization which, in conjunction with the reduced action potential overshoot, led to a reduced action potential duration. This shift to shorter-duration action potentials was accompanied by a shift to more monophasic falling phases. The low-P/S neurons also exhibited a decreased afterhyperpolarization, decreased specific membrane resistance, and decreased membrane electrical time constant compared to high-P/S neurons.
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It was concluded that the P/S ratio in the diet can have a significant effect on the electric properties of neurons. The high-P/S neurons tended to have action potentials with biphasic repolarizations and longer durations. In contrast, the low-P/S neurons tended to have action potentials with monophasic repolarizations and shorter durations. Moreover, the known ionic dependence of these two types of action potentials suggested that the low-P/S diet resulted in action potentials with a more exclusive Na dependence, while the high-P/S diet resulted in action potentials with both Na and Ca dependence.
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Scott, B., Lew, J., Clandinin, M.T. et al. Dietary fat influences electric membrane properties of neurons in cell culture. Cell Mol Neurobiol 9, 105–113 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00711447
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00711447