Fatty Acids Physiological and Behavioral Functions

Leading academic and biomedical researchers comprehensively review the status of essential fatty acids (EFA) in nutrition, medicine, psychology, and pharmacology. Topics range from a discussion of EFA basic mechanisms to their effects on individual psychiatry and behavior, and include extensive coverage of pathology, DHA in CNS development, and phospholipid and fatty acid composition and metabolism. Comprehensive and forward-looking, Fatty Acids: Physiological and Behavioral Functions reviews and critically evaluates our current knowledge of EFA, setting the stage for oncoming wave of discovery about the biochemical and molecular functions of essential fatty acids, as well as their critical role in human physiology, immunology, and behavior.

Part I. Basic Mechanisms Evolutionary Aspects of Diet: Essential Fatty Acids Artemis P. Simopoulos Modulation of Receptor Signaling by Phospholipid Acyl Chain Composition Drake C. Mitchell and Burton J. Litman Role of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Determining Membrane Structure and Function: Lessons Learned from Normal and Neoplastic Leukocytes Laura J. Jenski and William Stillwell Effects of Essential Fatty Acids on Voltage-Regulated Ionic Channels and Seizure Thresholds in Animals Robert A. Voskuyl and Martin Vreugdenhil Role of Dietary Fats and Exercise in Immune Functions and Aging Jaya T. Venkatraman and David Pendergast Part II. Phospholipid and Fatty Acid Composition and Metabolism On the Relative Efficacy of _-Linolenic Acid and Preformed Docosahexaenoic Acid as Substrates for Tissue Docosahexaenoate During Perinatal Development Meng-Chuan Huang and J. Thomas Brenna Recent Advances in the Supply of Docosahexaenoic Acid to the Nervous System Robert J. Pawlosky and Norman Salem Jr Quantifying and Imaging Brain Phospholipid Metabolism In Vivo Using Radiolabeled Long Chain Fatty Acids Stanley I. Rapoport Carbon Recycling: An Important Pathway in _-Linolenate Metabolism in Fetuses and Neonates Stephen C. Cunnane Part III. DHA and CNS Development Impact of Dietary Essential Fatty Acids on Neuronal Structure and Function M. Thomas Clandinin, R.A.R. Bowen, and Miyoung Suh Dietary N-3 Fatty Acid Deficiency and its Reversibility: Effects upon Brain Phospholipids and the Turnover of Docosahexaenoic Acid in the Brain and Blood William E. Connor, Gregory J. Anderson, and Don S. Lin The Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Retinal Function Algis J. Vingrys, James A. Armitage, Harrison S. Weisinger, B.V. Bui, Andrew J.Sinclair, and Richard S. Weisinger Brightness-Discrimination Learning Behavior and Retinal Function Affected by Long-Term _-Linolenic Acid Deficiency in Rat, Harumi Okuyama Yoichi Fujii, and Atsushi Ikemoto Part IV. Pathology Disturbances of Essential Fatty Acid Metabolism in Neural Complications of Diabetes Joseph Eichberg and Cristinel Mîinea Docosahexaenoic Acid Therapy for Disorders of Peroxisome Biogenesis Hugo W. Moser and Gerald V. Raymond Effects of Fatty Acids and Ketones on Neuronal Excitability: Implications for Epilepsy and its Treatment Carl E. Stafstrom Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters: Toxic Nonoxidative Metabolites of Ethanol Zbigniew M. Szczepiorkowski and Michael Laposata Part V. Psychiatry and Behavior Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Psychiatric Disorders: Current Status of the Field Joseph R. Hibbeln and Norman Salem Jr Disorders of Phospholipid Metabolism in Schizophrenia, Affective Disorders, and Neurodegenerative Disorders David F. Horrobin Eicosapentaenoic Acid: A Potential New Treatment for Schizophrenia? Malcolm Peet and Shaun Ryles The Importance of DHA in Optimal Cognitive Function in Rodents Claus C. Becker and David J. Kyle The Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Body Fluid and Energy Homeostasis Richard S. Weisinger, James A. Armitage, Peta Burns, Andrew J. Sinclair, Algis J. Vingrys, and Harrison S. Weisinger PUFA: Mediators for the Nervous, Endocrine, and Immune Systems Shlomo Yehuda, Sharon Rabinovitz, and David I. Mostofsky