Neuroprotective Effects of Diets Containing Olive Oil and DHA/EPA in a Mouse Model of Cerebral Ischemia

• Main Authors: Rafael Gonzalo-Gobernado, María Irene Ayuso, Loredana Sansone, Juan José Bernal-Jiménez, Víctor Darío Ramos-Herrero, Enrique Sánchez-García, Teresa L. Ramos, Rocío Abia, Francisco J. G. Muriana, Beatriz Bermúdez, Joan Montaner
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-05-01
• Series: Nutrients
• Subjects: cerebral ischemia; stroke; middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo); omega-3 fatty acids; DHA; EPA; olive oil; MUFA; PUFA; SFA; neuroprotection; neurological function; behaviour
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/5/1109

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and while there is increasing evidence that a Mediterranean diet might decrease the risk of a stroke, the effects of dietary fat composition on stroke outcomes have not been fully explored. We hypothesize that the brain damage provoked by a stroke would be different depending on the source of dietary fat. To test this, male C57BL/6J mice were fed for 4 weeks with a standard low-fat diet (LFD), a high-fat diet (HFD) rich in saturated fatty acids (HFD-SFA), an HFD containing monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) from olive oil (HFD-OO), or an HFD containing MUFAs from olive oil plus polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) docosahexaenoic acid/eicosapentaenoic acid (DHA/EPA) (HFD-OO-ω3). These mice were then subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo). Behavioural tests and histological analyses were performed 24 and/or 48 h after tMCAo in order to elucidate the impact of these diets with different fatty acid profiles on the ischemic lesion and on neurological functions. Mice fed with HFD-OO-ω3 displayed better histological outcomes after cerebral ischemia than mice that received an HFD-SFA or LFD. Furthermore, PUFA- and MUFA-enriched diets improved the motor function and neurological performance of ischemic mice relative to those fed with an LFD or HFD-SFA. These findings support the use of DHA/EPA-omega-3-fatty acid supplementation and olive oil as dietary source of MUFAs in order to reduce the damage and protect the brain when a stroke occurs.