DHA depletion in rat brain is associated with impairment on spatial learning and memory.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) deficiency in brain on spatial learning and memory in rats. METHODS: Sprague Dawley rats were fed with an n-3 fatty acid deficient diet for two generations to induce DHA depletion in brain. DHA in seven brain regions was analyzed using the gas-liquid chromatography. Morris water maze (MWM) was employed as an assessing index of spatial learning and memory in the n-3 fatty acid deficient adult rats of second generation. RESULTS: Feeding an n-3 deficient diet for two generations depleted DHA differently by 39%-63% in the seven brain regions including cerebellum, medulla, hypothalamus, striatum, hippocampus, cortex and midbrain. The MWM test showed that the n-3 deficient rats took a longer time and swam a longer distance to find the escape platform than the n-3 Adq group. CONCLUSION: The spatial learning and memory in adult rats are partially impaired by brain DHA depletion.