CNR ExploRA

Abstract in rivista, 2023, ENG

NEUROPROTECTIVE AND ANTIINFAMMATORY EFFECTS OF EPA AND DHA ON OLFACTORY ENSHEATHING CELLS EXPOSED TO LIPOPOLY-SACCHARIDE. A PRELIMINARY IN VITRO STUDY.

Rosalia Pellitteri; Xena Pappalardo; Angela Patti; Claudia Sanfilippo

Inst. for Biomedical Research and Innovation, CNR, Catania, Italy Inst. Biomolecular Chemistry, CNR, Catania, Italy.

Neuroinflammation is a common symptom in the onset of different neurodegenerative diseases and growing interest is directed towards the development of active drugs for the reduction or elimination of its negative effects. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), belonging to the class of ?-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, have been largely investigated for their anti-inflammatory activity and their potential as neuroprotective agents has been evaluated on some neural cells1. Most of the observed biological activities of these fatty acids are maintained, and in some case enhanced, in the corresponding amide derivatives or oxygenated metabolites2. Our study aims to elucidate the protective effect of both EPA and DHA, as well as the corresponding N-ethanolamides EPA-EA and DHA-EA, on Olfactory Ensheathing Cells (OECs) exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation. OECs are glial cells located in the olfactory system, which is the first to show a deficit in neurodegenerative diseases. To verify the anti-inflammatory effect of these compounds on OEC cultures and on cell morphological features, the expression of some cytoskeletal proteins, such as Vimentin and Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein (GFAP), was evaluated by immunocytochemical procedures. In addition, MTT test was carried out to establish the non-toxic concentrations and the optimal time of exposure. Our results show a decrease of GFAP and Vimentin expression in OECs treated with EPA or DHA acids or EPA-EA or DHA-EA and stressed with LPS when compared with OECs exposed to LPS alone. While a protective role on cell morphology is predominantly observed for EPA and DHA, the amides EPA-EA and DHA-EA mainly show anti-inflammatory effects, superior to those of free acids. These results highlight that all the tested compounds have anti-inflammatory activity on LPS-exposed OECs and may provide an innovative tool to contrast neuroinflammation, which plays a key role in several neurodegenerative diseases.

European journal of histochemistry (Online) 67 suppl.2