Grant: Operating Grant

Neurodegenerative diseases are a relatively broad class of neurological disorders, however, recent evidence suggests that dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), commonly found in fish, may be of benefit in preventing or treating these diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease. One common link between neurodegenerative disorders is that they have a neuroinflammatory component. It is well established that n-3 PUFA are anti-inflammatory in the periphery, but whether or not they are also anti-inflammatory within the brain is unknown. The objective of the current proposal is to test if n-3 PUFA are anti-inflammatory within the mouse brain and to evaluate the mechanisms by which they accomplish this. We have established a mouse model of neuroinflammation to test this hypothesis and our preliminary results strongly suggest that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is protective against neuroinflammation. What is not known is the mechanism by which n-3 PUFA decrease neuroinflammation. In this application we will test if DHA is directly involved in the downregulation of neuroinflammation or if it works through other fatty acids.