The results of several meta-analyses suggest that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) supplementation is therapeutic in managing the symptoms of major depression. It was previously assumed that because EPA is extremely low in the brain it did not cross the blood-brain barrier and any therapeutic effects it exerted would be via the periphery. However, more recent studies have established that EPA does enter the brain, but is rapidly metabolised following entry. While EPA does not accumulate within the brain, it is present in microglia and homeostatic mechanism may regulate its esterification to phospholipids that serve important roles in cell signaling. Furthermore, a variety of signaling molecules from EPA have been described in the periphery and they have the potential to exert effects within the brain. If EPA is confirmed to be therapeutic in major depression as a result of adequately powered randomized clinical trials, future research on brain EPA metabolism could lead to the discovery of novel targets for treating or preventing major depression.

中文翻译：

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脑二十碳五烯酸代谢作为重度抑郁症新疗法的先导

几项荟萃分析的结果表明，补充二十碳五烯酸 (EPA) 可治疗重度抑郁症的症状。之前有人认为，由于 EPA 在大脑中含量极低，因此它不会穿过血脑屏障，并且它发挥的任何治疗作用都将通过外周进行。然而，最近的研究证实 EPA 确实进入大脑，但在进入后迅速代谢。虽然 EPA 不会在大脑内积聚，但它存在于小胶质细胞中，稳态机制可能会调节其酯化为在细胞信号传导中起重要作用的磷脂。此外，来自 EPA 的多种信号分子已被描述在外周，它们有可能在大脑内发挥作用。