Stahl Lauren A, Begg Denovan P, Weisinger Richard S, Sinclair Andrew J
La Trobe University, School of Psychological Science, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
Curr Opin Investig Drugs. 2008 Jan;9(1):57-64.
Research has established that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), plays a fundamental role in brain structure and function. Epidemiological and cross-sectional studies have also identified a role for long-chain omega-3 PUFA, which includes DHA, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosapentaenoic acid, in the etiology of depression. In the past ten years, there have been 12 intervention studies conducted using various preparations of longchain omega-3 PUFA in unipolar and bipolar depression. The majority of these studies administered long-chain omega-3 PUFA as an adjunct therapy. The studies have been conducted over 4 to 16 weeks of intervention and have often included small cohorts. In four out of the seven studies conducted in depressed individuals and in two out of the five studies in bipolar patients, individuals have reported a positive outcome following supplementation with ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid or fish oil containing long-chain omega-3 PUFA. In the three trials that researched the influence of DHA-rich preparations, no significant effects were reported. The mechanisms that have been invoked to account for the benefits of long-chain omega-3 PUFA in depression include reductions in prostaglandins derived from arachidonic acid, which lead to decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and/or alterations in blood flow to the brain.
研究已证实，二十二碳六烯酸（DHA），一种长链ω-3多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFA），在大脑结构和功能中起着至关重要的作用。流行病学和横断面研究也已确定长链ω-3多不饱和脂肪酸（包括DHA、二十碳五烯酸和二十二碳五烯酸）在抑郁症病因学中的作用。在过去十年中，已经进行了12项干预研究，使用各种长链ω-3多不饱和脂肪酸制剂治疗单相和双相抑郁症。这些研究大多将长链ω-3多不饱和脂肪酸作为辅助治疗。研究进行了4至16周的干预，且通常纳入的队列较小。在针对抑郁症患者进行的7项研究中的4项以及针对双相情感障碍患者进行的5项研究中的2项中，患者报告在补充二十碳五烯酸乙酯或含有长链ω-3多不饱和脂肪酸的鱼油后有积极效果。在3项研究富含DHA制剂影响的试验中，未报告有显著效果。人们提出的解释长链ω-3多不饱和脂肪酸对抑郁症有益作用的机制包括减少源自花生四烯酸的前列腺素，这会导致脑源性神经营养因子水平降低和/或大脑血流改变。
