ω-3脂肪酸的一种，二十二碳六烯酸(docosahexaenoic acid, DHA)，图片来自维基共享资源。

根据2012年1月11日发表在The Journal of Neuroscience期刊上的一项新研究，诸如在鱼油中发现的ω-3脂肪酸可能应用于阻止神经损伤和愈合神经损伤。

英国玛丽皇后大学研究人员发现来自含有高水平内源性ω-3脂肪酸的小鼠的神经元免受拉伸或氧气匮乏诱导的损伤。

科学家比较了表达fat-1---一种来自线虫(C. elegans)的脂肪酸去饱和酶，将ω-6脂肪酸转化为ω-3脂肪酸---小鼠的神经元和野生小鼠中的那些神经元。

研究人员给这两组小鼠喂食富含ω-6脂肪酸的食物，导致表达fat-1 的小鼠中存在高水平的循环流通的ω-3脂肪酸。当研究人员让小鼠神经元遭受拉伸或低氧条件时，他们发现来自表达fat-1 的小鼠的神经元相比于富含ω-6脂肪酸的野生型小鼠神经元表现出更少的损伤。类似地，表达fat-1 的小鼠遭受坐骨神经损伤后要比野生型小鼠更快地恢复知觉。研究人员根据这些研究结果推测较高的内源性ω-3脂肪酸水平可能产生抗神经损伤的保护作用。

Improved Outcome after Peripheral Nerve Injury in Mice with Increased Levels of Endogenous Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Stacy J. Gladman, Wenlong Huang, Siew-Na Lim, Simon C. Dyall, Sophie Boddy, Jing X. Kang, Martin M. Knight, John V. Priestley, and Adina T. Michael-Titus

Functional recovery after a peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is often poor. There is a need for therapies that protect neurons against injury and enhance regeneration. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to have therapeutic potential in a variety of neurological disorders, including acute traumatic injury. The objective of this study was to assess the neuroprotective and pro-regenerative potential of ω-3 PUFAs in PNI. We investigated this in mice that express the fat-1 gene encoding for ω-3 fatty acid desaturase, which leads to an increase in endogenous ω-3 PUFAs and a concomitant decrease in ω-6 PUFAs. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from wild-type or fat-1 mice were subjected to a mechanical strain or hypoxic injury, and cell death was assessed using ethidium homodimer-1 labeling. The fat-1 background appears to confer robust neuroprotection against both injuries. We then examined the early functional and morphological changes in wild-type and fat-1 mice after a sciatic nerve crush. An accelerated functional recovery 7 d after injury was seen in fat-1 mice when assessed using von Frey filaments and the sciatic nerve functional index. These observations were also mapped to changes in injury-related markers. The injury-induced expression of ATF-3 was decreased in the DRG of fat-1 mice, whereas the axons detected 6 mm distal to the crush were increased. Fat-1 animals also had some protection against muscle atrophy after injury. In conclusion, both in vitro and in vivo experiments support the idea that a higher endogenous ω-3 PUFA could lead to beneficial effects after a PNI.