Effects of Dietary Sialic Acid in n-3 Fatty Acid-Deficient Dams during Pregnancy and Lactation on the Learning Abilities of Their Pups after Weaning

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The effects of dietary sialic acid in dams on the learning abilities of their pups after weaning were investigated using rats deficient in n-3 fatty acids. Nine-week-old female Wistar rats were fed an n-3 fatty acid-deficient diet for 3 wk and were mated at 12 wk of age. During pregnancy and lactation, the female rats were fed the n-3 fatty acid-deficient diet, and were given water or water containing 1% N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) ad libitum. After weaning, the learning abilities of the pups were evaluated using a novel object recognition test. The recognition index of pups nursed by dams fed on water containing 1% NANA (NANA-intake dams) was significantly higher than that of pups nursed by dams fed only on water (NANA non-intake dams). There were no significant differences in the total sialic acid or docosahexaenoic acid contents in the cerebral cortex or hippocampus of pups nursed by dams fed on either type of water. The total dimethylacetal (DMA, from plasmalogen) level in the cerebral cortex of pups nursed by NANA-intake dams was significantly higher than that of pups nursed by NANA non-intake dams. These results suggest that dietary sialic acid in dams during pregnancy and lactation might be beneficial for the learning abilities of pups after weaning, which may be related to the plasmalogen level in the brain of pups.