(P25-013-24) New Form of LPC-Omega-3 Beneficial for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression - A Novel Finding

Objectives: Depression is a psychiatric disorder that affects almost 16% of the population worldwide. Prenatal restraint stress (PRS) recapitulates the chronic stress during embryonic development. In the pursuit of efficacious treatments to alleviate depressive-like symptoms, Diet play a key role in mental health. For instance, levels of PUFA, particularly omega-3 fatty acids including EPA and DHA are reduced in patients diagnosed with depression compared to healthy individuals. The mechanism of action of the PUFA’s that improve aspects of mental health are not yet understood. In this study, we evaluated the effects of a diet enriched in LPC-omega 3 on depressive-like and anxiety-like phenotypes were investigated in the PRS mouse model.

Methods: A total of 32 breeders (ND4 Swiss Albino) were mated. Dams were randomly assigned to either the prenatal stress (PRS) or non-stressed (NS) group. Weaned PRS and NS mice were group caged until PND40, at which time the animals are assigned to each diet: control diet (with added corn oil) or the lipase treated krill oil diet enriched in DHA and EPA enriched diet (EPA-DHA). Behaviors and fatty acid analysis were performed between PND 70-75. Depressive-like phenotypes were assessed using the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST), while anxiety-like phenotype was evaluated using the light-dark box (LDB).

Results: Fatty acid analysis showed a significant decrease in DHA levels of DHA in the brains of PRS mice compared to NS. Treatment with LPC-DHA/EPA restored the DHA levels completely. This study revealed a significant increase in the time spent immobile together with time spent swimming in the PRS group receiving control diet, in both males and females, compared with the NS group. Animals fed the EPA-DHA enriched diet rescued the FST depressive-like phenotype. The LDB test showed an anxiety-like phenotype in PRS males under control diet, and this behavior was rescued by the EPA-DHA enriched diet.

Conclusions: Administration of diet enriched in EPA and DHA rescued the depressive-like behavior in the PRS mice, whereas there was no effect of the EPA-DHA enriched diet detected in either the NS males or NS females. This suggests that LPC-DHA/EPA, which has been shown to more readily cross the blood brain barrier compared to the currently available supplements restores specific deficits associated with PRS.

Funding Sources: VA, AARG