Use of Active Salmon-Lecithin Nanoliposomes to Increase Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Bioavailability in Cortical Neurons and Mice

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) play an important role in the development, maintenance, and function of the brain. Dietary supplementation of n-3 PUFAs in neurological diseases has been a subject of particular interest in preventing cognitive deficits, and particularly in age-related neurodegeneration. Developing strategies for the efficient delivery of these lipids to the brain has presented a challenge in recent years. We recently reported the preparation of n-3 PUFA-rich nanoliposomes (NLs) from salmon lecithin, and demonstrated their neurotrophic effects in rat embryo cortical neurons. The objective of this study was to assess the ability of these NLs to deliver PUFAs in cellulo and in vivo (in mice). NLs were prepared using salmon lecithin rich in n-3 PUFAs (29.13%), and characterized with an average size of 107.90 ± 0.35 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.25 ± 0.01, and a negative particle-surface electrical charge (−50.4 ± 0.2 mV). Incubation of rat embryo cortical neurons with NLs led to a significant increase in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (51.5%, p < 0.01), as well as palmitic acid, and a small decrease in oleic acid after 72 h (12.2%, p < 0.05). Twenty mice on a standard diet received oral administration of NLs (12 mg/mouse/day; 5 days per week) for 8 weeks. Fatty acid profiles obtained via gas chromatography revealed significant increases in cortical levels of saturated, monounsaturated, and n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid,) and n-6 (docosapentaenoic acid and arachidonic acid) PUFAs. This was not the case for the hippocampus or in the liver. There were no effects on plasma lipid levels, and daily monitoring confirmed NL biocompatibility. These results demonstrate that NLs can be used for delivery of PUFAs to the brain. This study opens new research possibilities in the development of preventive as well as therapeutic strategies for age-related neurodegeneration.

Comparison of Rat Primary Midbrain Neurons Cultured in DMEM/F12 and Neurobasal Mediums

Introduction: Midbrain dopaminergic neurons are involved in various brain functions, including motor behavior, reinforcement, motivation, learning, and cognition. Primary dopaminergic neurons and also several lines of these cells are extensively used in cell culture studies. Primary dopaminergic neurons prepared from rodents have been cultured in both DMEM/F12 and neurobasal mediums in several studies. However, there is no document reporting the comparison of these two mediums. So in this study, we evaluated the neurons and astroglial cells in primary midbrain neurons from rat embryos cultured in DMEM/F12 and neurobasal mediums. Methods: Primary mesencephalon cells were prepared from the E14.5 rat embryo. Then they were seeded in two different mediums ( Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium/Nutrient Mixture F-12 [DMEM/F12] and neurobasal). On day 3 and day 5, half of the medium was replaced with a fresh medium. On day 7, β3-tubulin-, GFAP (Glial fibrillary acidic protein)- and Tyrosine Hydroxylase TH-positive cells were characterized as neurons, astrocytes, and dopaminergic neurons, respectively, using immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the morphology of the cells in both mediums was observed under light microscopy on days 1, 3, and 5. Results: The cells cultured in both mediums were similar under light microscopy regarding the cell number, but in a neurobasal medium, the cells have aggregated and formed clustering structures. Although GFAP-immunoreactive cells were lower in neurobasal compared to DMEM/F12, the number of β3-tubulin- and TH-positive cells in both cultures was the same. Conclusion: This study’s findings demonstrated that primary midbrain cells from the E14.5 rat embryo could grow in both DMEM/F12 and neurobasal mediums. Therefore, considering the high price of a neurobasal medium, it can be replaced with DMEM/F12 for culturing primary dopaminergic neurons.

Non-apoptotic role of Cleaved Caspase 3 in Rat Gonocyte

Germ cells emerge from the epiblast and migrate to the gonads, where they become gonocytes. The gonocytes are the precursors of the spermatogonial stem cells, but little is known about their differentiation. The rigid control of gonocyte proliferation, quiescence and pluripotency marker expression is crucial for spermatogonia development. We have previously suggested that cleaved caspase-3 (Casp3) might play a non-apoptotic role in gonocyte quiescence. Here we describe when rat fetal gonocyte enter mitotic arrest and show that Casp3 inhibition in these cells affects the expression of cell cycle genes. The expression of Ki67, p27Kip, Retinoblastoma 1 (pRb1), NANOG and CASP3 was investigated in 15, 17 and 19 days post coitum rat embryo gonads. The results show that Ki67 and pRB1 proteins are downregulated from 15 days post coitum to 19 days post coitum, whereas p27Kip, NANOG and CASP3 are upregulated. This suggests that rat germ cells start to enter quiescence around 15dpc and that CASP3 and NANOG seem to play a role in this process. CASP3 labelling formed a ring in gonocyte cytoplasm, which is clearly distinct from apoptotic cell labelling, and coincided with NANOG labelling. CASP3 inhibition lead to an increase of Pcna expression and to a decrease of p27kip and p21cip expression. These results suggest that cleaved CASP3 has a role in rat male germ cell development which can be related to the control of the cell cycle genes.