A recent study found that omega-3 fatty acids can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in young stressed mice, with the mice showing behavioral and molecular changes. This discovery, published in Neurobiology of stressoffers hope for new treatments for adolescent depression in humans.
Major depressive disorder is a debilitating mental health condition that has increasingly affected young people globally, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While adults have various treatment options, teenagers often find these therapies ineffective, or even harmful. The search for alternative treatments has led researchers to explore the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, commonly found in fish oil and known for their anti-inflammatory properties.
Therefore, the study aimed to understand whether omega-3 could counteract the effects of stress-induced depression in infant rats. Stress is a known trigger for depression, and the researchers used ultrasound frequencies to simulate stressful emotional conditions that led to depression-like behavior in mice.
The methodology involved exposing 40 one-month-old mice to alternating ultrasound frequencies for three weeks, mimicking negative (20-25 kilohertz) and neutral (25-45 kilohertz) emotional states. At the same time, the mice were given a diet with either omega-3 supplements, which also contained eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, or a “dummy” supplement that did not contain any omega-3 (a placebo).
The results were promising. Mice treated with omega-3 showed a marked improvement in behavior, showing fewer anxiety- and depression-like symptoms compared to those on a regular diet.
Specifically, the group of mice given a placebo showed a reduced preference for consuming freely available sugar water. This indicates anhedonia (the inability to experience pleasure from activities that normally bring pleasure), which is a major symptom of depression.
Additionally, mice that consumed omega-3 exhibited less anxiety-like behavior. For example, when placed in an empty square box, rats were more adventurous and spent more time in the center of the “open field.”
Omega-3 intake also led to changes in metabolism in the brain, blood and liver, as well as a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting a molecular basis for the behavioral improvements.
However, levels of the hormone cortisone, which was induced by ultrasound stress, remained high.
“This discrepancy suggests that while omega-3 may moderate some inflammatory responses, it may not affect all stress-related hormonal pathways. [Omega-3 influences] several parameters that were not altered by stress, which independently appear to exert a protective effect,” the authors noted.
It is important to note that although these findings are encouraging, they come with limitations. The main concern is whether results from a mouse model can be translated to humans.
The study, “Omega-3 attenuates behavioral and molecular changes in a mouse model of stress-induced juvenile depression,” was authored by Tatyana Strekalova, Daniel Radford-Smith, Isobel K. Dunstan, Anna Gorlova, Evgeniy Svirin, Elisaveta Sheveleva, Alisa. Burova, Sergey Morozov, Aleksey Lyundup, Gregor Berger, Daniel C. Anthony, and Susanne Walitza.
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