Natural fish oil improves the differentiation and maturation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells to oligodendrocytes in vitro after interaction with the blood–brain barrier

• Published in: Frontiers in immunology Vol. 13; p. 932383
• Main Authors: Piatek, Paweł, Lewkowicz, Natalia, Michlewska, Sylwia, Wieczorek, Marek, Bonikowski, Radosław, Parchem, Karol, Lewkowicz, Przemysław, Namiecinska, Magdalena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A 22-07-2022
• Subjects: astrocytes; Blood-brain barrier; endothelial cells; Immunology; long-chain fatty acids; oligodendrocyte precursor cells; oligodendrocytes
• ISSN: 1664-3224; 1664-3224
• DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.932383

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) tightly controls the microenvironment of the central nervous system (CNS) to allow neurons to function properly. Additionally, emerging studies point to the beneficial effect of natural oils affecting a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes in the human body. In this study, using an
in vitro
model of the BBB, we tested the influence of natural fish oil mixture (FOM)
vs
. borage oil (BO), both rich in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) such as oleic acid (C18:1n9c) or nervonic acid (NA), on human oligodendrocyte precursor cells (hOPCs) during their maturation to oligodendrocytes (OLs) regarding their ability to synthesize myelin peptides and NA. We demonstrated that FOM, opposite to BO, supplemented endothelial cells (ECs) and astrocytes forming the BBB, affecting the function of hOPCs during their maturation. This resulted in improved synthesis of myelin basic protein (MBP), myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), proteolipid protein (PLP), and NA in mature OLs. This effect is probably the result of BBB cell and hOPC stimulation
via
free fatty acid receptors (FFARs), which increases insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and inhibits fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) synthesis. The unique formula of fish oil, characterized by much more varied components compared to those of BOs, also improved the enhancement of the tight junction by increasing the expression of claudin-5 and VE-cadherin on ECs. The obtained data justify consideration of naturally derived fish oil intake in human diet as affecting during remyelination.