J Menopausal Med.  2021 Dec;27(3):132-140. 10.6118/jmm.21016.

Behavioral, Oxidative, and Biochemical Effects of Omega-3 on an Ovariectomized Rat Model of Menopause

• Rocha RVOD
• Martins MIM
• Antunes FTT
• Martins MG
• Klein AB
• Corrêa DS
• Souza AHd

• KMID: 2523747
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.6118/jmm.21016

Abstract

Objectives
Menopause induces changes in neuronal transmission, leading to anxiety and depression. Changes in the brain’s glutamate levels cause psychological behavior in postmenopausal women. Omega-3 has been studied to improve some of these behaviors.
Methods
Twenty-four female Wistar rats were divided into four groups: sham-operated treated with water (SO-W), sham-operated treated with omega-3 (SO-O), ovariectomized (OVX) treated with water (OVX-W), and bilateral OVX treated with omega-3 (OVX-O). These treatments were performed for 20 days via gavage, before and after surgery, totaling 40 days.
Results
In the forced swimming, elevated plus-maze, and open field tests to assess behaviors, such as depression and anxiety, omega-3 improved these behaviors in both treated groups. The levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the brain were not different between the groups; however, there was a significant decrease in the catalase activity in the SO-O group compared with the SO-W group (P < 0.05). The glutamate level in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was elevated in the SO-O group (P < 0.001) but not in the OVX-W or OVX-O groups.
Conclusions
These results bring novel data when related to the glutamatergic system in the SO-O group. This has suggested that the action mechanism of omega-3 was not dependent on glutamate levels in the CSF of the OVX group, but it played a regulatory role in the sham-operated animals. To confirm this, more studies are needed to explore this field when relating to the estrogen and glutamate receptor changes in specific brain regions.

Keyword

Anxiety; Brain; Depression; Glutamate