Table 2.

Pathways involved in stroke and possible roles of DHA. Relevant references are provided in the text.

Pathway	Effect of DHA
Production of arachidonic acid (AA)	↓
• AA liberation from membrane phospholipids	↓
• Free AA levels	↓
• Pro-inflammatory eicosanoids	↓
Ionic homeostasis	↑
• Na+-K+ ATPase activity	↑
• Ionic imbalance (Na+, K+)	↓
• Increased intracellular Ca2+	↓
• Cell edema	↓
Glutamate receptor and synaptic activity	↓
• Glutamate release	↓
• Impaired glutamate reuptake at presynaptic nerve endings	↓
• Glutamate receptors stimulation	↓
• Influx of Ca2+ into cells	↓
Apoptosis	↓
• Pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 gene induction	↓
• Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 gene induction	↑
• Expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein	↑
Mitochondrial function	↑
• Intracellular Ca2+ balance	↑
• Cytochrome c release	↓
• Pro-apoptotic caspases	↓
Formation of free radicals	↓
• ROS production	↓
• Anti-oxidant molecules	↑
Inflammatory mediators	↓
• Leukocyte infiltration	↓
• IL-1β expression	↓
• COX-2-induced prostaglandins	↓
• NF-kB activity	↓
• Microglial activation	↓
Cerebral infarction volume	↓