Journal of Clinical & Experimental Pharmacology

Fatty acids rehabilitated long-term neurodegenerative-like symptoms in olfactory bulbectomized rats

World Congress on Pharmacology

July 20-22, 2015 Brisbane, Australia

Shlomo Yehuda1 and Sharon Rabinovitz2

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: Clin Exp Pharmacol

Abstract:

Our previous study demonstrated that an olfactory bulbectomy in rats induced devastating short-term, multifaceted, neurodegenerative-like effects, which included cognitive impairment, hyperactivity, hyperthermia, and increased levels of homocysteine and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-17A. In addition, the rats exhibited increase in the hyperphosphorylation of brain Tau proteins and the number of neurofibrillary tangles. In this study, we examined the long-term effects of the surgery and found that olfactory bulbectomy decreased cognitive function and increased levels of homocysteine, stress, and inflammatory cytokines. It also rendered the rats anemic, with brain iron overload. A significant reduction of the membrane fluidity index in frontal cortex synaptosomes was also observed. Treatment with a mixture of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids improved the unwanted effects. The treated rats exhibited improved learning capacity, and the increased levels of homocysteine and cytokines were significantly reduced. Their iron status also improved. The beneficial effects of fatty acids are mediated through their effects on the structure and fluidity of the neuronal membrane. Olfactory bulbectomy may serve as a useful model for neurodegenerative disorders.