scholarly journals Maternal Docosahexaenoic Acid Status During Pregnancy and Its Impact on Infant Neurodevelopment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjay Basak ◽  
Rahul Mallick ◽  
Asim K Duttaroy
Keyword(s):  
Docosahexaenoic Acid ◽  
Fetal Brain ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Functional Development ◽  
Cortical Astrocyte ◽  
Human Frontal Cortex ◽  
Infant Neurodevelopment ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Dietary components are important for the structural and functional development of the brain. Among these, docosahexaenoic acid,22:6n-3 (DHA) is critically required for the structure and development of the growing fetal brain in utero. DHA is the major n-3 long-chain fatty acid in brain gray matter representing about 15% of all fatty acids in the human frontal cortex. DHA affects neurogenesis, neurotransmitter, synaptic plasticity & transmission, and signal transduction in the brain. Studies in animals and humans show that adequate levels of DHA in neural membranes are important for cortical astrocyte maturation and vascular coupling, and helps cortical glucose uptake and metabolism. In addition, specific metabolites of DHA are bioactive molecules that protect tissues from oxidative injury and stress in the brain. A low DHA level in the brain results in behavior changes and is associated with learning problems and memory deficits. In humans, the third trimester-placental supply of maternal DHA to the growing fetus is critically important as the growing brain obligatory requires DHA during this window period. Besides, DHA is also involved in the early placentation process, essential for placental development. This underscores the critical importance of maternal DHA intake for the structural and functional development of the brain. This review describes DHA's multiple roles during gestation, lactation, and the consequences of its lower intake during pregnancy and postnatally on the children's brain development and function.

scholarly journals Maternal Docosahexaenoic Acid Status during Pregnancy and Its Impact on Infant Neurodevelopment

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3615
Author(s):  
Sanjay Basak ◽  
Rahul Mallick ◽  
Asim K. Duttaroy
Keyword(s):  
Docosahexaenoic Acid ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Tissue Injury ◽  
Fetal Brain ◽  
Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Functional Development ◽  
Cortical Astrocyte ◽  
Infant Neurodevelopment ◽  
The Brain

Dietary components are essential for the structural and functional development of the brain. Among these, docosahexaenoic acid, 22:6n-3 (DHA), is critically necessary for the structure and development of the growing fetal brain in utero. DHA is the major n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid in brain gray matter representing about 15% of all fatty acids in the human frontal cortex. DHA affects neurogenesis, neurotransmitter, synaptic plasticity and transmission, and signal transduction in the brain. Data from human and animal studies suggest that adequate levels of DHA in neural membranes are required for maturation of cortical astrocyte, neurovascular coupling, and glucose uptake and metabolism. Besides, some metabolites of DHA protect from oxidative tissue injury and stress in the brain. A low DHA level in the brain results in behavioral changes and is associated with learning difficulties and dementia. In humans, the third trimester-placental supply of maternal DHA to the growing fetus is critically important as the growing brain obligatory requires DHA during this window period. Besides, DHA is also involved in the early placentation process, essential for placental development. This underscores the importance of maternal intake of DHA for the structural and functional development of the brain. This review describes DHA’s multiple roles during gestation, lactation, and the consequences of its lower intake during pregnancy and postnatally on the 2019 brain development and function.

scholarly journals Combined Supplementation of Choline and Docosahexaenoic Acid during Pregnancy Enhances Neurodevelopment of Fetal Hippocampus

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huban Thomas Rajarethnem ◽  
Kumar Megur Ramakrishna Bhat ◽  
Malsawmzuali Jc ◽  
Siva Kumar Gopalkrishnan ◽  
Ramesh Babu Mugundhu Gopalram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Docosahexaenoic Acid ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Fetal Brain ◽  
Normal Pregnancy ◽  
Saline Control ◽  
Fetal Brain Development ◽  
Essential Nutrient ◽  
Combined Supplementation ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Choline is an essential nutrient for humans which plays an important role in structural integrity and signaling functions. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a polyunsaturated fatty acid, highly enriched in cell membranes of the brain. Dietary intake of choline or DHA alone by pregnant mothers directly affects fetal brain development and function. But no studies show the efficacy of combined supplementation of choline and DHA on fetal neurodevelopment. The aim of the present study was to analyze fetal neurodevelopment on combined supplementation of pregnant dams with choline and DHA. Pregnant dams were divided into five groups: normal control [NC], saline control [SC], choline [C], DHA, and C + DHA. Saline, choline, and DHA were given as supplements to appropriate groups of dams. NC dams were undisturbed during entire gestation. On postnatal day (PND) 40, brains were processed for Cresyl staining. Pups from choline or DHA supplemented group showed significant (p<0.05) increase in number of neurons in hippocampus when compared to the same in NC and SC groups. Moreover, pups from C + DHA supplemented group showed significantly higher number of neurons (p<0.001) in hippocampus when compared to the same in NC and SC groups. Thus combined supplementation of choline and DHA during normal pregnancy enhances fetal hippocampal neurodevelopment better than supplementation of choline or DHA alone.

scholarly journals Maternal Dietary Exposure to Low-Dose Bisphenol A Affects Metabolic and Signaling Pathways in the Brain of Rat Fetuses

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1448
Author(s):  
Claudia Tonini ◽  
Marco Segatto ◽  
Simone Gagliardi ◽  
Simona Bertoli ◽  
Alessandro Leone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bisphenol A ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Fetal Brain ◽  
Dietary Exposure ◽  
Estrogen Receptor Α ◽  
Protein Prenylation ◽  
Synthetic Compound ◽  
Mva Pathway ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic compound widely used for the production of polycarbonate plasticware and epoxy resins. BPA exposure is widespread and more than 90% of individuals have detectable amounts of the molecule in their body fluids, which originates primarily from diet. Here, we investigated whether prenatal exposure to BPA affects the mevalonate (MVA) pathway in rat brain fetuses, and whether potential effects are sex-dependent. The MVA pathway is important for brain development and function. Our results demonstrate that the fetal brain, exposed in utero to a very low dose of BPA (2.5 µg/kg/day), displayed altered MVA pathway activation, increased protein prenylation, and a decreased level of pro-BDNF. Interestingly, the BPA-induced effects on estrogen receptor α were sex-dependent. In conclusion, this work demonstrates intergenerational effects of BPA on the brain at very low doses. Our results reveal new targets for BPA-induced interference and underline the impacts of BPA on health.

scholarly journals Docosahexaenoic Acid

2016 ◽  
Vol 69 (Suppl. 1) ◽  
pp. 8-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip C. Calder
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Docosahexaenoic Acid ◽  
Protein Function ◽  
Lipid Mediator ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Young Infants ◽  
Neuronal Signalling ◽  
Membrane Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a long-chain, highly unsaturated omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid. It has a structure that gives it unique physical and functional properties. DHA is metabolically related to other n-3 fatty acids: it can be synthesised from the plant essential fatty acid α-linolenic acid (ALA). However, this pathway does not appear to be very efficient in many individuals, although the conversion of ALA to DHA is much better in young women than in young men. Furthermore, young infants may be more efficient converters of ALA to DHA than many adults, although the conversion rate is variable among infants. Many factors have been identified that affect the rate of conversion. The implication of poor conversion is that preformed DHA needs to be consumed. DHA is found in fairly high amounts in seafood, especially fatty fish, and in various forms of n-3 supplements. The amount of DHA in seafood and in supplements varies. Breast milk contains DHA. DHA is found esterified into complex lipids within the bloodstream, in adipose stores and in cell membranes. Its concentration in different compartments varies greatly. The brain and eye have high DHA contents compared to other organs. DHA is especially concentrated in the grey matter of the brain and in the rod outer segments of the retina. In the brain DHA is involved in neuronal signalling, while in the eye it is involved in the quality of vision. DHA is accumulated in the brain and eye late in pregnancy and in early infancy. A lower DHA content is linked to poorer cognitive development and visual function. DHA affects cell and tissue physiology and function through numerous mechanisms, including alterations in membrane structure and function, in membrane protein function, in cellular signalling and in lipid mediator production.

scholarly journals Aberrant Structural and Functional Developmental Trajectories in Children With Intellectual Disability

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuejin Ma ◽  
Jianxia Tan ◽  
Lin Jiang ◽  
Xuqin Wang ◽  
Bochao Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Functional Development ◽  
Iq Scores ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Intellectual disability (ID) is associated with aberrant structural and functional development of the brain, yet how the dynamical developmental changes of the structure and function of ID from childhood to around puberty remains unknown. To explore the abnormal developmental trajectories of structure and function, 40 children with ID aged 6–13 years and 30 sex-, age-, and educational level-matched healthy controls (HC) with age range from 6 to 13 were recruited. The automatic voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) analyses were adopted to delineate the structural and functional differences. Significantly decreased total gray matter volume (GMV) and white matter volume (WMV) in children with ID were found, and the developmental trajectories of GMV and WMV in children with ID showed an opposite direction as compared with HC. The voxel-wise VMB analysis further revealed significantly increased GMV in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), bilateral orbital part of the inferior frontal gyrus (orb_IFG.L, orb_IFG.R), right cuneus (cuneus.R), and bilateral middle frontal gyrus (MFG.L, MFG.R) in children with ID. The following seed-based whole-brain functional connectivity analyses of the brain areas with changed GMV found decreased FCs between the cuneus.R and left intraparietal sulcus (IPS.L) and between the MFG.R and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in children with ID. Moreover, negative correlations between GMV values in the dmPFC, orb_IFG.L, cuneus.R, and intelligence quotient (IQ) scores and positive correlations between the FCs of the cuneus.R with IPS.L and MFG.R with ACC and IQ scores were found in children with ID and HC. Our findings provide evidence for the abnormal structural and functional development in children with ID and highlight the important role of frontoparietal network in the typical development. The abnormal development of GMV and functional couplings found in this study may be the neuropathological bases of children with ID.

scholarly journals Brain food for babies

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-29
Author(s):  
Dilys J. Freeman ◽  
Barbara J. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Docosahexaenoic Acid ◽  
Fetal Brain ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Fetal Brain Development ◽  
Critical Requirement ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Timing Processes ◽  
Exquisite Specificity ◽  
In Pregnancy

How does a mother supply a key building block of the brain required for neurodevelopment to her fetus in pregnancy? The critical requirement of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for fetal brain development, and the poor efficiency of its synthesis in humans, is a tricky metabolic problem to be overcome in pregnant women. Supplying this unique fatty acid to the fetus requires exquisite specificity and timing, processes that can unravel in disease conditions such as pre-eclampsia.

Ultrastructure of developing visual cortical synapses in the cat superior colliculus

1991 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 156-157
Author(s):  
Caroline A. Miller ◽  
Laura L. Bruce
Keyword(s):  
Superior Colliculus ◽  
Phosphate Buffer ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Visual Cortical Area ◽  
Cortical Synapses ◽  
Visual Cortical ◽  
And Function ◽  
Phosphate Buffered Saline ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Cat Superior Colliculus

The first visual cortical axons arrive in the cat superior colliculus by the time of birth. Adultlike receptive fields develop slowly over several weeks following birth. The developing cortical axons go through a sequence of changes before acquiring their adultlike morphology and function. To determine how these axons interact with neurons in the colliculus, cortico-collicular axons were labeled with biocytin (an anterograde neuronal tracer) and studied with electron microscopy.Deeply anesthetized animals received 200-500 nl injections of biocytin (Sigma; 5% in phosphate buffer) in the lateral suprasylvian visual cortical area. After a 24 hr survival time, the animals were deeply anesthetized and perfused with 0.9% phosphate buffered saline followed by fixation with a solution of 1.25% glutaraldehyde and 1.0% paraformaldehyde in 0.1M phosphate buffer. The brain was sectioned transversely on a vibratome at 50 μm. The tissue was processed immediately to visualize the biocytin.

Effects of Maternal Obesity and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus on the Placenta: Current Knowledge and Targets for Therapeutic Interventions

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-192
Author(s):  
Samantha Bedell ◽  
Janine Hutson ◽  
Barbra de Vrijer ◽  
Genevieve Eastabrook
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Gestational Diabetes ◽  
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Maternal Obesity ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Exchange Site ◽  
And Function

: Obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are becoming more common among pregnant women worldwide and are individually associated with a number of placenta-mediated obstetric complications, including preeclampsia, macrosomia, intrauterine growth restriction and stillbirth. The placenta serves several functions throughout pregnancy and is the main exchange site for the transfer of nutrients and gas from mother to fetus. In pregnancies complicated by maternal obesity or GDM, the placenta is exposed to environmental changes, such as increased inflammation and oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, and altered hormone levels. These changes can affect placental development and function and lead to abnormal fetal growth and development as well as metabolic and cardiovascular abnormalities in the offspring. This review aims to summarize current knowledge on the effects of obesity and GDM on placental development and function. Understanding these processes is key in developing therapeutic interventions with the goal of mitigating these effects and preventing future cardiovascular and metabolic pathology in subsequent generations.

Revision Targeted Muscle Reinnervation Improves Secondary Pain Insult in an Upper Extremity Amputee: A Case Report

Hand ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 155894472199246
Author(s):  
David D. Rivedal ◽  
Meng Guo ◽  
James Sanger ◽  
Aaron Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Peripheral Nerves ◽  
Nerve Biopsy ◽  
Sensory Cortex ◽  
Denervated Muscle ◽  
Unique Case ◽  
Targeted Muscle Reinnervation ◽  
Muscle Reinnervation ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) has been shown to improve phantom and neuropathic pain in both the acute and chronic amputee population. Through rerouting of major peripheral nerves into a newly denervated muscle, TMR harnesses the plasticity of the brain, helping to revert the sensory cortex back toward the preinsult state, effectively reducing pain. We highlight a unique case of an above-elbow amputee for sarcoma who was initially treated with successful transhumeral TMR. Following inadvertent nerve biopsy of a TMR coaptation site, his pain returned, and he was unable to don his prosthetic. Revision of his TMR to a more proximal level was performed, providing improved pain and function of the amputated arm. This is the first report to highlight the concept of secondary neuroplasticity and successful proximal TMR revision in the setting of multiple insults to the same extremity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document