Abstracts

Rationale: Rats selectively bred to be seizure-prone (SP), versus seizure-resistant (SR), naturally show significantly reduced plasma levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) despite maintenance on the same diet. This relative deficiency persists throughout pregnancy and while breastfeeding in female SP rats. Aberrant lipid handling has also been well documented in patients with epilepsy and its comorbid conditions, particularly those associated with a developmental delay. Methods: In this study, we compared the rates of visuomotor development between post-natal day (PND) 6-20 in naive SP versus SR rat pups. We also supplemented pregnant SP and SR mothers with a high dose of salmon oil (omega-3 fatty acids) beginning 1 week prior to conception and continuing until PND23 (weaning) in order to examine its effects on visuomotor development in SP and SR offspring. Results: The findings of this study demonstrated significantly delayed acquisition of several motor tasks including righting reflex, negative geotaxis, cliff avoidance and wire hanging in SP compared to SR rats. Surprisingly, fatty acid supplementation in pregnant females did not correct this delay and instead further delayed the development of SP offspring. It even delayed some aspects of development in SR rats. Conclusions: Documentation of a natural developmental delay in SP pups lends further clinical validity to the use of our strains as an animal model for the study of epilepsy and its associated disorders. The findings of this study also powerfully demonstrate the role of maternal diet in pre- and post-natal pup development and caution against heavy ingestion of omega-3 fatty acids by mothers during that time regardless of genetic backdrop. (funded by CIHR grant to DCM)