Quantitative Proteomics Reveals Docosahexaenoic Acid-Mediated Neuroprotective Effects in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Microglial Cells

The high levels of docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA) in cell membranes
within the brain have led to a number of studies exploring its function.
These studies have shown that DHA can reduce inflammatory responses
in microglial cells. However, the method of action is poorly understood.
Here, we report the effects of DHA on microglial cells stimulated
with lipopolysaccharides (LPSs). Data were acquired using the parallel
accumulation serial fragmentation method in a hybrid trapped ion mobility-quadrupole
time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Over 2800 proteins are identified
using label-free quantitative proteomics. Cells exposed to LPSs and/or
DHA resulted in changes in cell morphology and expression of 49 proteins
with differential abundance (greater than 1.5-fold change). The data
provide details about pathways that are influenced in this system
including the nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of the activated
B cells (NF-κB) pathway. Western blots and enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay studies are used to help confirm the proteomic results. The
MS data are available at ProteomeXchange.