Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Acute and Chronic Tactile Sensory Testing after Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
Published on: April 4, 2012
Docosahexaenoic acid induces changes in microglia/macrophage polarization after spinal cord injury in rats
Olga Manzhulo1, Anna Tyrtyshnaia2, Yulia Kipryushina1
1National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, 690041, Russia.
Abstract:
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 (n-3)) leads to recovery of locomotor functions observed of spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. In present study, we characterized the expression of iba-1, CD86, CD163 in microglia/macrophages, to assess activation state and M1 (pro-inflammatory)/M2 (anti-inflammatory) phenotypes respectively, in the rostral, central and caudal segment of the spinal cord on 7 and 35 days after SCI. We found that DHA treatment leads to: (1) an increased activation and proliferation of microglial cells; (2) an alteration in the dynamics between M1 and M2 microglia/macrophages phenotypes (3) and increased production of an antioxidant enzymes. Overall, our data demonstrates that DHA has a complex effect in post-traumatic process within the central nervous system, and supports the therapeutic potential of DHA-based drugs.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Spinal Cord
The Spinal Cord
Spinal Cord: Information Processing
Sensory Information Processing
Sensory information processing begins at the sensory receptors located in the skin and other tissues, which detect somatic sensory stimuli such as touch, temperature, or pain. These receptors function as catalysts, initiating...
Spinal Cord: Gross Anatomy
Spinal Cord: Cross-sectional Anatomy
Gray Matter and its Components
Central to the gray matter is...
Molecular Shape and Polarity

