Table 1.
Summary of the metabolism, neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of DPA*.
| Experimental model | Main outcomes | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Metabolism | ||
| Sprague Dawley rats | DPA increased DPA in all tissues and DHA in the liver. DPA also partly retro-converted to EPA in liver, adipose tissue, heart and skeletal muscle. | Kaur et al. (2010) |
| Sprague Dawley rats | DPA increased DPA in heart and liver and increased EPA content with the retro-conversion particularly pronounced in the kidney. | Holub et al. (2011) |
| Wistar rats | DPA and DHA β-oxidized significantly less than EPA at 6 h, and higher incorporation of DPA and DHA in skeletal muscle and heart than EPA. | Kaur et al. (2013) |
| Sprague Dawley rats | Greater excretion of DPA in feces than EPA. EPA and DPA similarly increased EPA, DPA and total long chain omega-3 PUFAs in the liver. | Ghasemi Fard et al. (2014) |
| Healthy females (age 21–30 years) | After 4 days supplementation DPA increased EPA, DPA and DHA content of plasma or RBC lipids, whereas EPA only increased EPA content. | Miller et al. (2013) |
| Healthy females (age 20–30 years) | EPA and DPA metabolized differently postprandially. DPA significantly decreased chylomicronemia compared to EPA. | Linderborg et al. (2013) |
| Neuroprotection | ||
| Young (3–4 months) and old (20–22 months) rats | EPA increased cortical tissue DPA and DHA in young and old rats and EPA in old rats, whereas DPA increased DPA in young and old rats and DHA in young rats. EPA and DPA similarly down-regulated age-related microglial activation, decreased activation of sphingomyelinase and caspase 3 and restored long-term potentiation and improved spatial memory in the aged rats. | Kelly et al. (2011) |
| Inflammation | ||
| Mice neutrophils and human macrophages | DPA-derived PD1n-3 DPA significantly reduced neutrophil recruitment during peritonitis of mice and stimulated macrophage phagocytosis and clearance of apoptotic human neutrophils, both to a similar extent to DHA-derived PD1. | Aursnes et al. (2014) |
| Human macrophages | DPA-derived Mar1n-3 DPA stimulated macrophage phagocytosis and clearance of apoptotic human neutrophils to a similar extent to that of DHA-derived Mar1. | Tungen et al. (2014) |
* For a detailed review of the metabolism and biological effects of DPA prior to 2011 see Kaur et al. (2011).