PARIS—Membrane levels of the omega-3s regulate brain energy levels by affecting glucose delivery and metabolism, according to a new study (Neurochem Int. 2010;56(5):703-10). Coordinated out of the French National Institute for Agriculture Research (INRA), researchers used two models of rat brain endothelial cells (RBEC) to assess the impact of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and arachidonic acid (AA, an omega-6) on fatty acid composition of membrane phospholipids, glucose uptake and expression of 55-kDa glucose transporter-1 (GLUT1) isoforms.
When exposed to DHA, EPA or AA, RBECs rapidly incorporated the EFAs into their membrane phospholipids. Basal glucose transport in RBEC was increased after EPA or DHA supplementation by 50 percent and 35 percent, respectively; AA had no effect. The increased glucose transport also increased GLUT1 protein levels, although GLUT1 mRNA was not affected. Physiological doses of omega-3 EFAs could therefore positively impact glucose transport and utilization by cerebral cells.
