Injections of Omega 3 Could Reduce Brain Injury, Says Study

26 Aug 2016 --- Experts have found that injecting omega 3 within 24 hours after mice suffered a brain injury, it reduced the brain injury incurred.

Researchers from Columbia University Medical Centre also found that Omega 3 injections improve brain function in the weeks after the jab.

The researchers injected ten-day-old mice, all which had hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, with either one of the two Omega-3 fatty acids. Following the injection, the mice's neurological function was evaluated 24 hours and eight to nine weeks after the brain injury.

The results showed that at 24 hours, mice treated with DHA, but not EPA, showed a significant reduction in brain injury, whilst in the following weeks, the DHA group also had significantly better results in multiple brain functions compared to the EPA-treated mice.

It’s thought the study could lead to treatment that helps patients who have recently suffered a stroke. Each year, around 110,000 people in the UK suffer a stroke, many of which result in brain injuries.

Brain injuries from strokes are caused in many ways. As well as the death of cells while the stroke is actually happening, a reperfusion injury, which occurs when blood flow is restored to the brain after a stroke, can also cause damage to the brain. Once oxygen is given back to the brain, the powerhouse of the cells are bombarded with Ca2+ ions which opens pores in the mitochondria, giving compounds like ROS a chance to damage it, leading to further cellular death. 

The team hopes that their trials lead to the development of therapies for stroke in newborns, children, and adults, addressing a major medical need.