Prenatal omega-3 fatty acids supplementation mitigates some schizophrenia-like deficits in offspring: A PET and MRI study in a rat model

Omega-3 fatty acids (OM) have been employed as adjunctive therapy in patients with schizophrenia, but their potential as a preventive strategy remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate whether dietary OM supplementation during pregnancy may prevent schizophrenia-like deficits in a maternal immune stimulation (MIS) model. Pregnant Wistar rats were injected with PolyI:C (i.e. MIS) or Saline on gestational day 15. They were fed with OM-enriched chow, either from MIS until delivery (OM7) or throughout gestation (OM21). Two control groups (Saline-naïve & MIS-naïve) were maintained on standard chow. In adulthood, offspring were assessed through tests for locomotion, anxiety and short- and long-term memory (STM, LTM). Brain glucose metabolism and structural in vivo neuroimaging studies were performed using PET and MRI techniques. OM7/OM21 treatments prevented the hyperlocomotion in MIS-offspring while STM deficits were only improved by OM7. Both OM7/OM21 treatments prevented certain metabolic and volumetric changes in the cortex, as well as the enlargement of the ventricles. Additionally, OM21 protected WM integrity in MIS-offspring. Altogether, our study highlights the potential of prenatal OM dietary supplementation to ameliorate some of the SCZ-like deficits observed in the MIS model.