Lab Introduction & Major Research Interests
Our research areas are nutrition and endocrinology on cognitive science. We have been focused on fatty acids and steroid hormones on learning memory and mental disorders. We hypothesized that more docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) in membrane structure of hippocampal neuron would build up a better barrier to against neurotoxicity induced by fibrillar amyloid peptide42 and would provide a better membrane structure for its neurological function. We examined whether maternal brain levels of DHA were depleted during pregnancy and lactation due to meeting the high demand of the developing nervous system in the offspring. We examined whether brain development was the critical period in which DHA deficiency leads to excessive hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis responses to stress and elevated behavioral indices of depression and anxiety in adulthood. We are interested on the interaction of DHA and estrogen on neuronal function.
The molecular effect of signaling and structure on neurons is examined via western blot or RT-PCR. The cellular effect of neuronal morphology is demonstrated by Golgi-Cox staining or immunohistochemistry or immunocytochemistry. The integrative effect of learning memory, depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors are tested by Morris water maze, passive or active avoidance, forced swimming and elevated plus-maze.
Recent Representative Publication ( * corresponding author)
1. Chen HF and Su HM* (2013) Exposure to a maternal n-3 fatty acid-deficient diet during brain development provokes excessive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses to stress and behavioral indices of depression and anxiety in male rat offspring later in life. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 24 :70-80.
2. Chen HF and Su HM* (2012) Fish oil supplementation of maternal rats on an n-3 fatty acid-deficient diet prevents depletion of maternal brain regional docosahexaenoic acid levels and has a postpartum anxiolytic effect. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 23 :299-305.
3. Su HM* (2010) Mechanisms of n-3 fatty acid-mediated development and maintenance of learning memory performance. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 21:364-373
4. Wang PY, Chen JJ, and Su HM* (2010) Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation of primary rat hippocampal neurons attenuates the neurotoxicity induced by aggregated amyloid beta protein42 and upregulates cytoskeletal protein expression. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 21:345-350.
5. Calviello G, Su HM, Weylandt KH, Fasano E, Serini S, and Cittadini A (2013) Experimental evidence of w-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid modulation of inflammatory cytokines and bioactive lipid mediators: their Potential Role in inflammatory, neurodegenerative, and neoplastic Diseases. BioMed Research International. ID:743171 (co-first author)