Expression data from hypothalamus of rats fed omega-3 or omega-6 essential fats. Expression data from hypothalamus of rats fed omega-3 or omega-6 essential fats

Omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have important signalling roles in the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that regulates whole-body energy homeostasis. While evidence suggests that high PUFA intake can impact hypothalamic activity, the underlying molecular mechanisms regulated by essential dietary PUFA (i.e., linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid) remain poorly described in this brain region. To differentiate the roles of essential dietary PUFA on hypothalamic function, we fed male rats high-fat diets (35% kcal/d) containing either safflower (linoleic acid) or flaxseed (alpha-linolenic acid) oil for 2 months. Control rats were fed a low-fat (16% kcal/d) diet containing soybean oil. Hypothalmic gene expression was investigated by microrray. Overall design: Group comparison