Nutritional Omega-3 Deficiency Alters Glucocorticoid Receptor-Signaling Pathway and Neuronal Morphology in Regionally Distinct Brain Structures Associated with Emotional Deficits

Figure 3

Effects of n-3 deficient diet on GR signaling pathway and emotional behaviours. (a) Experimental timeline. Mifepristone pellets released continuously 20 mg/kg/day for 21 days. After 21 days of treatment, open-field and social interaction tests were performed. One day after the last behavioural test, mice were sacrificed for Western blot analysis. (b, c) A significant interaction between diet and treatment was revealed on both (b) GR (interaction: , , two-way ANOVA, Bonferroni’s test; -5 per group) and (c) FKBP51 expression in the PFC (interaction: , , two-way ANOVA, Bonferroni’s test; -5 per group). (d) No change was revealed in the expression of E6AP in the PFC of mice (interaction: , , diet effect: , , treatment effect: , , two-way ANOVA; -7 per group). (e) Mifepristone effect on GR occurred in the HC regardless of the diet condition (treatment effect: , , two-way ANOVA; -5 per group). (f) A significant interaction between diet and treatment was revealed on FKBP51 expression in the hippocampus (interaction: , , two-way ANOVA, Bonferroni’s test; per group). (g) The expression of E6AP in the HC of n-3 deficient mice was reduced as compared to control diet mice whatever the treatment (interaction: , , diet effect: , , treatment effect: , , two-way ANOVA; –7 per group). A significant interaction between diet and treatment was revealed on both (h) social interaction (interaction: , , two-way ANOVA, Bonferroni’s test; –10 per group) and (i) open-field test (interaction: , , two-way ANOVA, Bonferroni’s test; -11 per group). Data are displayed as mean ± SEM. ^#; ; ; .