On 3-back) and change in RBC DHA (r = 0.29, p = 0.39) or EPA (r = 0.04, p = 0.90) levels following supplementation.[11C]DTBZ PET ImagingCritical PET scan parameters are listed in Table 3. [11C]DTBZ injected dose, specific activity at time of injection, and injected mass did not differ between the pre- and post-n? PUFA supplementation conditions. No significant between-condition differences were observed in the plasma free fraction and clearance rate of [11C]DTBZ, or in [11C]DTBZ occipital cortex distribution volume, VND measure (data available from n = 10/11 subjects, in whom venous line placement was successful). n? PUFA supplementation had no significant effect on [11C]DTBZ BPND in the striatal subdivisions [linear mixed model, effect of condition, F(1,20) = 0.52, p = 0.48; effect of region, F(4, 80) = 285.6: p,0.001; condition-by-region interaction, F(4, 80) = 0.63, p = 0.64]. In addition, a test of between-condition differences in each region of interest failed to 18334597 reach significance in all five striatal subdivisions (p.0.05, paired t tests, data in Table 4). Correlation LED-209 web analyses revealed no significant (-)-Indolactam V web relationship between pre-supplementation [11C]DTBZ BPND in the striatum and RBC DHA (r = 20.40, p = 0.22) or EPA (r = 0.12, p = 0.70) levels. Also, no significant associations were noted between the change in [11C]DTBZ BPND in the striatum and change in RBC DHA (r = 20.29, p = 0.39) or EPA (r = 20.04, p = 0.90) levels following supplementation. No significant associations were noted when the above correlations were performed using [11C]DTBZ BPND and D BPND from the functional or anatomical subdivisions of the striatum.Statistical AnalysisAll statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS statistics, version 20. Comparison of the pre- and post- supplementation condition outcome measures such as RBC PUFA, AHR, D BPND etc., were evaluated with paired t tests and linear mixed model with region of interest as a repeated measure and condition as fixed factor. Relationships between the fatty acid composition, cognitive and imaging measures were analyzed with Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. A two-tailed probability value of p,0.05 was selected as significant.Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation and VMATFigure 1. A and B show the increase in RBC DHA and EPA over the course of the six-month study, i.e., from pre-supplementation levels at baseline (0-month) to post-supplementation levels prior to the [11C]DTBZ PET scan (6-months). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046832.gDiscussionIn this study, we evaluated VMAT2 availability with [11C]DTBZ and PET in a group of healthy young adults before and after six months of supplementation of a FDA approved formulation of n? PUFA (Lovaza, 2 g/day). Despite the fact that the formulation used in this study led to significant elevations in RBC DHA (1.75-fold) and EPA (4.5-fold) levels relative to presupplementation values, we failed to detect an effect for it on striatal VMAT2 availability. The mean change in [11C]DTBZ BPND in the striatal subdivisions (range 21 to 24 ) after n? PUFA supplementation was well within the reported test-retest variability (4 to 7 ) for this radioligand [28]. This observation in humans is somewhat inconsistent with rodent studies that suggest n? PUFA deficient animals relative to controls have 25 to 60 less VMAT2 binding in the ventral striatum [12?4]. An important difference that led to the inability to detect an effect on [11C]DTBZ binding might be related to the f.On 3-back) and change in RBC DHA (r = 0.29, p = 0.39) or EPA (r = 0.04, p = 0.90) levels following supplementation.[11C]DTBZ PET ImagingCritical PET scan parameters are listed in Table 3. [11C]DTBZ injected dose, specific activity at time of injection, and injected mass did not differ between the pre- and post-n? PUFA supplementation conditions. No significant between-condition differences were observed in the plasma free fraction and clearance rate of [11C]DTBZ, or in [11C]DTBZ occipital cortex distribution volume, VND measure (data available from n = 10/11 subjects, in whom venous line placement was successful). n? PUFA supplementation had no significant effect on [11C]DTBZ BPND in the striatal subdivisions [linear mixed model, effect of condition, F(1,20) = 0.52, p = 0.48; effect of region, F(4, 80) = 285.6: p,0.001; condition-by-region interaction, F(4, 80) = 0.63, p = 0.64]. In addition, a test of between-condition differences in each region of interest failed to 18334597 reach significance in all five striatal subdivisions (p.0.05, paired t tests, data in Table 4). Correlation analyses revealed no significant relationship between pre-supplementation [11C]DTBZ BPND in the striatum and RBC DHA (r = 20.40, p = 0.22) or EPA (r = 0.12, p = 0.70) levels. Also, no significant associations were noted between the change in [11C]DTBZ BPND in the striatum and change in RBC DHA (r = 20.29, p = 0.39) or EPA (r = 20.04, p = 0.90) levels following supplementation. No significant associations were noted when the above correlations were performed using [11C]DTBZ BPND and D BPND from the functional or anatomical subdivisions of the striatum.Statistical AnalysisAll statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS statistics, version 20. Comparison of the pre- and post- supplementation condition outcome measures such as RBC PUFA, AHR, D BPND etc., were evaluated with paired t tests and linear mixed model with region of interest as a repeated measure and condition as fixed factor. Relationships between the fatty acid composition, cognitive and imaging measures were analyzed with Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. A two-tailed probability value of p,0.05 was selected as significant.Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation and VMATFigure 1. A and B show the increase in RBC DHA and EPA over the course of the six-month study, i.e., from pre-supplementation levels at baseline (0-month) to post-supplementation levels prior to the [11C]DTBZ PET scan (6-months). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046832.gDiscussionIn this study, we evaluated VMAT2 availability with [11C]DTBZ and PET in a group of healthy young adults before and after six months of supplementation of a FDA approved formulation of n? PUFA (Lovaza, 2 g/day). Despite the fact that the formulation used in this study led to significant elevations in RBC DHA (1.75-fold) and EPA (4.5-fold) levels relative to presupplementation values, we failed to detect an effect for it on striatal VMAT2 availability. The mean change in [11C]DTBZ BPND in the striatal subdivisions (range 21 to 24 ) after n? PUFA supplementation was well within the reported test-retest variability (4 to 7 ) for this radioligand [28]. This observation in humans is somewhat inconsistent with rodent studies that suggest n? PUFA deficient animals relative to controls have 25 to 60 less VMAT2 binding in the ventral striatum [12?4]. An important difference that led to the inability to detect an effect on [11C]DTBZ binding might be related to the f.