New article: Fish oil component helps damaged brain and retina cells survive read more at here http://www.spinonews.com/index.php/medical-news/item/3340-fish-oil-component-helps-damaged-brain-and-retina-cells-survive

Researchers at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has shown NDP1, a signaling molecule made from DHA, can trigger the production of a protective protein against toxic free radicals and injury in the brain and retina.

Researchers conducted in an experimental model of ischemic stroke and human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells.

Neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1) is a lipid messenger made from the omega-3 fatty acid Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) made on demand when cell survival is compromised.

Oxidative stress, resulting from the constant production of damaging free radicals, lays the groundwork for cell death. Cell death is accelerated by catastrophic events, like ischemic stroke, as well as neurodegenerative and blinding-eye diseases.

 

 

[UHT milk may improve understanding of age-related diseases]

 

The research team found that when systematically administered one hour after two hours of experimental stroke, NPD1 increased the production and availability of ring finger protein 146, which has been named Iduna.

Iduna facilitates DNA repair and protects against a form of programmed cell death in stroke known as parthanatos by suppressing the production of a destructive protein called PARP.

Their findings also include that NDP1 enhanced the production of Iduna and protection in two types of human RPE cells undergoing uncompensated oxidative stress. The researchers found that the effect of NDP1 on Iduna activity peaked at six hours after the onset of the oxidative stress, a dose-dependent curve showed an increase of Iduna activity starting as 25 nM NPD1 in both types of human RPE cells.

 

These results suggest that NDP1 selectively induces Iduna activity when uncompensated oxidative stress triggers the formation of NPD1 that in turn activates Iduna.

More information: [Cell Death & Differentiation]