Abstract
The omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) has been previously shown to facilitate some of the vital functions of astrocytes. Since some dietary oils contain α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3), which is a precursor of DHA, we examined their effect on astrocyte development. Fatty acids (FAs) were isolated from commonly used oils and their compositions were determined by GLC. FAs from three oils, viz. coconut, mustard and linseed were studied for their effect on astrocyte morphology. Parallel studies were conducted with FAs from the same oils after heating for 72 h. Unlike coconut oil, FAs from mustard and linseed, both heated and raw, caused significant morphogenesis of astrocytes in culture. ß-AR binding was also substantially increased in astrocytes treated with FAs from raw mustard and linseed oils as compared to astrocytes grown in normal medium. The expression profile of the isoforms of GFAP showed that astrocyte maturation by FAs of mustard and linseed oil was associated with appearance of acidic variants of GFAP and disappearance of some neutral isoforms similar to that observed in cultures grown in serum containing medium or in the presence of DHA. Taken together, the study highlights the contribution of specific dietary oils in facilitating astrocyte development that can have potential impact on human health.
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Acknowledgments
The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Govt. of India provided financial support to AJ to carry out the study. Authors would like to thank Dr. A. K. Sen for his help in analyzing the fatty acid composition of the various oils studied by GLC.
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Joardar, A., Das, S. Effect of Fatty Acids Isolated from Edible Oils Like Mustard, Linseed or Coconut on Astrocytes Maturation. Cell Mol Neurobiol 27, 973–983 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-007-9204-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-007-9204-7