AD, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, And A Lipoprotein Receptor

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 27 Dec 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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This is one of those good-fat-bad-fat stories for your holiday reading. Ma et al. examined the lipid regulation of an ApoE/low-density lipoprotein receptor, the neuronal sortilin-related receptor (SorLA or LR11). LR11 can reduce â-amyloid production by guiding APP in recycling Golgi and early endosome pathways, thus trafficking APP away from â- and ã-secretase.

Polymorphisms that reduce LR11 expression also have been associated with increased Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk.

The authors report that the essential omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) increases LR11 in a neuronal cell line and in primary neurons. DHA also increased LR11 in membrane fractions from aged normal mice and in transgenic mice that overexpressed APP. Dietary fish oil had similar effects in rats with increased AD risk.

The authors suggest that this regulation may contribute to the reduced AD risk with increased fish consumption.

"Calcium and Vesicle Recruitment at the Calyx of Held "
Qiu-Lan Ma, Bruce Teter, Oliver J. Ubeda, Takashi Morihara, Dilsher Dhoot, Michael D. Nyby, Michael L. Tuck, Sally A. Frautschy, and Greg M. Cole
The Journal of Neuroscience, December 26, 2007, 27(52)
Click here to view abstract online

Sara Harris
Society for Neuroscience