Deficient Liver Biosynthesis of Docosahexaenoic Acid Correlates with Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease

Giuseppe Astarita, Kwang-Mook Jung, Nicole C Berchtold, Vinh Q Nguyen, Daniel L Gillen, Elizabeth Head, Carl W Cotman and Daniele Piomelli

PLOS ONE, 2010, vol. 5, issue 9, 1-8

Abstract: Reduced brain levels of docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3), a neurotrophic and neuroprotective fatty acid, may contribute to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. Here, we investigated whether the liver enzyme system that provides docosahexaenoic acid to the brain is dysfunctional in this disease. Docosahexaenoic acid levels were reduced in temporal cortex, mid-frontal cortex and cerebellum of subjects with Alzheimer's disease, compared to control subjects (P = 0.007). Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores positively correlated with docosahexaenoic/α-linolenic ratios in temporal cortex (P = 0.005) and mid-frontal cortex (P = 0.018), but not cerebellum. Similarly, liver docosahexaenoic acid content was lower in Alzheimer's disease patients than control subjects (P = 0.011). Liver docosahexaenoic/α-linolenic ratios correlated positively with MMSE scores (r = 0.78; P

Date: 2010
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0012538

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012538

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