Participation of the nucleus accumbens dopaminergic system in the antidepressant-like actions of a diet rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

The beneficial effects of omega (ω)-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation on major depressive disorder have been actively studied, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. The present study examined the involvement of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopaminergic systems in behavioral changes in mice fed a diet high in ω-3 PUFAs. Mice fed a diet containing about double the amount of ω-3 PUFAs (krill oil (KO) diet) exerted shorter immobility times in the forced swim test (FST) than mice fed a control diet, containing only α-linolenic acid (ALA) as ω-3 PUFAs. The shorter immobility times were observed in both male and female mice. A dopamine metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, increased in the NAc in male mice fed the KO diet when compared with those fed the control diet. In addition, dopamine, 3-methoxytyramine, and homovanillic acid increased in the NAc in female mice fed the KO diet. Notably, the effects of the KO diet on the immobility time in the FST were abolished by microinjection of sulpiride, an antagonist of D(2)-like receptors, into the NAc. A similar microinjection of an antagonist selective for D(1)-like receptors, SKF83566, also abolished the reduction in immobility in the FST. Moreover, we found that tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells increased in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in mice fed the KO diet. These results suggest that modulation of the VTA-NAc dopaminergic pathway is one of the mechanisms by which a KO diet rich in ω-3 PUFAs reduces the immobility behavior in the mouse FST.