• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.5 s.85
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• pp.634-640
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• 2007

Our previous study suggested that n-3 fatty acid deficiency was associated with significantly reduced spatial learning as assessed by Morris water maze test. Here we investigated an effect of n-3 fatty acid deficiency on rat brain, retina and serum fatty acyl compositions at 15 wks age using a first generational artificial rearing technique. Newborn Rat pups were separated on day 2 and assigned to two artificial rearing groups or a dam-reared control group. Pups were hand fed artificial milk via custom-designed nursing bottles containing either 0.02%(n-3 Deficient) or 3.1% (n-3 Adequate) of total fatty acids as a-linolenic acid(LNA). At day 21, rats were weaned to either n-3 deficient or n-3 adequate pelleted diets and fatty acid compositions of brain, retina and liver were analyzed at 15 wks age. Brain docosahexaenoic acid(DHA) was lower(58% and 61%, P<0.05) in n-3 deficient in comparison to n-3 adequate and dam-reared groups, receptively, while brain docosapentaenoic acid(DPAn-6) was increased in the n-3 deficient group. In retina and serum fatty acid compositions, the decreased precentage of DHA and increased precentage of DPAn-6 were observed. These results suggested that artificial rearing method can be used to produce n-3 fatty acid deficiency in the first generation and that adequate brain DHA levels are required for optimal brain function.