<p>PUFAs
serve many important biological and physiological functions within the body and
are key for the structure and function of the brain. Omega-6 and omega-3 PUFAs
are found in abundance in phospholipids of neuronal membranes that impart
structure and function of neurons. Omega-6 PUFAs are instrumental for
neurotransmission, neuronal elongation, and neuritogenesis; whereas, omega-3
PUFAs promote neuronal maturation through synaptogenesis. The types of PUFAs incorporated
into neuronal membranes is especially important in determining the progression
of development. The processes of neurogenesis, neuritogenesis and elongation
require large amounts of PUFAs to be incorporated into the membrane
phospholipids. To accommodate for the high PUFA needs, maternal dietary PUFA,
especially EPA and DHA, recommendations, mobilization of fatty acids into
maternal circulation increases, and the accretion rate of PUFA are increased. If
maternal nutritional inadequacy of PUFAs occurs during gestation, this can
result in impaired cognition, behavioral abnormalities, reduced number of
neurons, decreased dendric arborization, altered myelin sheath, and a reduction
in brain size. </p>
<p> Even though the essentiality of
PUFAs in neuronal development is widely accepted, the mechanism is not well
understood. There is a lack of consensus in the current literature on the
effects of individual PUFAs on each stage of neuronal development and the
molecular pathways involved. Despite the inconsistent evidence, the results of numerous
studies have consistently suggested that neuronal membrane PUFA composition is
associated with neuronal development outcomes, such as number of neurons and
neurites, neurite length, and neurotransmitter release. The varying results may
be the result of methodological discrepancies with PUFA composition and
concentrations, as well as the models used for neuronal development. Additionally,
very few studies have taken into consideration the competitive relationship of
omega-6 and omega-3 PUFAs in the body when assessing neurodevelopment. </p>
<p> This thesis was focused on
addressing the role of PUFAs in neuronal development and to address some of the
inconsistencies in the literature. attempt to elucidate the individual roles of
ALA, ARA, and EPA on neuronal membrane composition and neuronal development. The
aim of the thesis research project was to assess the impact of individual PUFAs
on neuronal membrane PUFA composition, the membrane n-6:n-3 ratio, and the
morphology of SH-SY5Y cells during differentiation. The results of this study
demonstrated that supplementation of individual PUFAs alters membrane PUFA
composition and the n-6:n-3 ratio. However, there wasn’t a significant effect
on neurite number with ALA, ARA, and EPA treatment. Lastly, ARA treatment
decreased cell viability compared to the other treatments and the BSA control. Furthermore,
additional research needs to be conducted to address other morphological
measures and functional outcomes, such as neurotransmitter production and
release.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/13369349 |
| Date | 11 December 2020 |
| Creators | Carrie P Terwilliger (9762341) |
| Source Sets | Purdue University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis |
| Rights | CC BY 4.0 |
| Relation | https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/The_Impact_of_Membrane_Polyunsaturated_Fatty_Acid_Composition_on_Neuronal_Growth_and_Development/13369349 |
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