Effects of Fish Oil Supplementation during the Suckling Period on Auditory Neural Conduction in n-3 Fatty Acid-Deficient Rat Pups

INTRODUCTION Omega-3 fatty acid, particularly in the form of fish oil, has a structural and biological role in various systems of the body. The auditory and nervous systems are both influenced by omega-3 fatty acids, with omega-3 deficiency having devastating effects on both systems. Numerous studies have attempted to investigate this further. This study aimed to evaluate neural conduction in n-3 fatty acid-deficient rat pups following supplementation with fish oil during the suckling period. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this interventional and experimental study, omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil (FO) were fed to rat pups of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-deficient dams. Changes in auditory neural conduction were compared with those of control and n-3 PUFA-deficient groups using auditory brainstem response (ABR). The parameters of interest were P1, P3, and P4 absolute latency, P1-P3, P1-P4, and P3-P4 interpeak latency (IPL), and P4/P1 amplitude ratio. The rat pups were given oral FO, 5 ml/g weight for 17 days, between the age of 5 and 21 days. RESULTS No significant group differences were observed in P1 and P3 absolute latency (P>0.05), but there was a significant difference in P4 (P≤0.05). The n-3 PUFA-deficient + vehicle group had the most prolonged (the worst) P1-P4 IPL and P3-P4 IPL compared with control and n-3 PUFA-deficient + FO groups. There was no significant difference in P1-P4 IPL and P3-P4 IPL between the n-3 PUFA-deficient + FO group and the control group (P>0.05). There was a significant effect of diet on P1-P4 IPL and P3-P4 IPL between groups (P≤0.05). CONCLUSION The results of present study showed the effect of omega-3 deficiency on auditory neural structure during pregnancy and the lactation period. Additionally, we observed reduced reduction in devastating effects on neural conduction in n-3 fatty acid-deficient rat pups following the supplementation of FO during the suckling period.