Effect of fish oil treatment during chronic hypoxia in pregnancy on memory impairment, brain morphometry changes and oxidative stress in adult male rat offspring

One of the possible mechanisms to the nervous system growth restriction and behavioral impairment following hypoxia, is oxidative stress. According to the antioxidant effect of fish oil, the present study was designed to investigate the effect of fish oil treatment during chronic hypoxia in pregnancy on memory, brain morphometric changes and oxidative stress in adult rat offspring.

In this study female pregnant rat (Wistar) were used; they were randomly divided into 5 experimental groups: control, sham, hypoxia, fish oil and hypoxia groups treated with fish oil. Hypoxia with 10% oxygen and 90% nitrogen intensity was applied. Fetal brain morphometry was examined on the 15th and 20th day of pregnancy and the 30-day-old offspring. Passive avoidance memory and oxidative stress parameters were examined in the 30-day-old rat offspring.

The brain weight average in the 15 and 20 day-old fetuses and 30-day-old offspring of the hypoxia group was significantly lower than the sham group (P<0.05). Memory results evaluation indicated that the avoidance memory was significantly decreased in hypoxia group compared to the sham group (P<0.05). Oxidative stress also increased significantly in the 30-day-old offspring of the hypoxia group compared to the sham group and fish oil treatment prevented the reduction of these parameters (P<0.05).

According to these results, Fish oil treatment during chronic hypoxia in pregnancy can be attenuate fetal brain restriction, oxidative stress and memory impairment following hypoxia.