Docosahexaenoic Acid Attenuates Mitochondrial Alterations and Oxidative Stress Leading to Cell Death Induced by Very Long-Chain Fatty Acids in a Mouse Oligodendrocyte Model

In the case of neurodegenerative pathologies, the therapeutic arsenal available is often directed towards the consequences of the disease. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to evaluate the ability of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a molecule present in certain foods and considered to have health benefits, to inhibit the cytotoxic effects of very long-chain fatty acids (C24:0, C26:0), which can contribute to the development of some neurodegenerative diseases. The effect of DHA (50 µM) on very long-chain fatty acid-induced toxicity was studied by several complementary methods: phase contrast microscopy to evaluate cell viability and morphology, the MTT test to monitor the impact on mitochondrial function, propidium iodide staining to study plasma membrane integrity, and DHE staining to measure oxidative stress. A Western blot assay was used to assess autophagy through modification of LC3 protein. The various experiments were carried out on the cellular model of 158N murine oligodendrocytes. In 158N cells, our data establish that DHA is able to inhibit all tested cytotoxic effects induced by very long-chain fatty acids.