Characterization of docosahexaenoic acid brain uptake and metabolism after consumption of different dietary forms

二十二碳六烯酸(DHA)是一种omega-3多不饱和脂肪酸，在大脑中高度丰富。DHA在大脑发育、神经元存活中起着至关重要的作用，我们的身体不可能从头开始合成DHA。建议在饮食中摄入DHA，因为它几乎只存在于鱼类中。然而，从鱼类种群中可获得的DHA不足以满足全球饮食建议。DHA可以以两种主要的饮食形式摄入：磷脂或甘油三酯。一些研究表明，DHA作为一种磷脂比DHA作为甘油三酯在丰富大脑方面更有效。然而，有不同类型的磷脂，它们在吸收和转运到大脑方面可能并不都相同。因此，利用大鼠和小鼠模型，我们的目的是比较不同形式的磷脂DHA对DHA丰富大脑的效果。老鼠将急性或慢性摄取不同形式的DHA示踪剂，并对大脑的丰富程度进行评估。在随后的研究中，我们将选定的DHA磷脂作为成年或发育中的小鼠的补充剂，并表征不同DHA形式之间的大脑代谢差异。这些研究的结果将帮助我们确定哪种形式的DHA是最好的，每剂量，以丰富大脑。通过回答这个问题，我们将有助于更好地理解调节DHA代谢的基本机制。

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid that is highly enriched in the brain. DHA plays a crucial role in brain development, neuronal survival, and it can't be synthesized from scratch by our body. It is recommended to consume DHA in the diet where it is almost exclusively found in fish. However, there is not enough DHA available from fish stocks to meet global dietary recommendations. DHA can be consumed in two main dietary forms: phospholipids or triglycerides. Some studies suggest that DHA as a phospholipid would be more efficient for enriching the brain than DHA as a triglyceride. However, there are different types of phospholipids and they might not all be equal in terms of absorption and transport to the brain. Therefore, using rat and mouse models, our objective is to compare different forms of phospholipid DHA on the basis of their efficiency to enrich the brain with DHA. Rats will ingest different forms of DHA tracers, either acutely or chronically, and brain enrichment will be assessed. In subsequent studies, we will feed the selected DHA phospholipids as supplements to adult or developing mice and characterize the differences in brain metabolism between the DHA forms. The results of these studies will help us characterize which form of DHA is the best, per dose, to enrich the brain. By answering this question, we will contribute to a better understanding of the basic mechanisms that regulate DHA metabolism.