Docosahexaenoic acid accumulation in the prenatal brain: prooxidant and antioxidant features

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) is the major polyunsaturated fatty acid (FA) in the adult rat brain and it accumulates significantly more than any other FA prior to birth. Under normal nutritional conditions, fetal-brain DHA accumulation is substantial, with a "DHA accretion spurt" being demonstrated in the last period of gestation. Under stress conditions, this spurt may be harmful owing to an increase in multiple double-bond targets for lipid peroxidation. The "DHA accretion spurt" is supported by the maternal supply of DHA or its precursor. Under maternal dietary n-3 FA deficiency, DHA content in the fetal brain can be restored by direct intraamniotic injection of mM concentrations of ethyl-DHA (Et-DHA). This approach may hold a potential advantage in the event of maternal-fetal insufficiency, a stress that may cause intrauterine growth retardation. It also revealed a potential beneficial effect after in utero ischemic stress; brain slices from Et-DHA-treated fetuses formed less oxidation products, as detected by thiobarbituric acid (TBA), compared to controls. Furthermore, brain-lipid extracts from Et-DHA but not ethyl-oleate treated fetuses, exhibited hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, as demonstrated by electron spin-resonance technique. Part of the beneficial effect of Et-DHA administration on the fetal brain may be attributed to enhanced free-radical scavenging capability, a phenomenon not directly related to vitamin E or lipid-soluble antioxidant levels.