Omega-3 Effects on Locomotion in Systemic Sclerosis Model VC1927 Caenorhabditis Elegans

Overview

The purpose of this research was to compare the results of different omega-3 fatty acids in trying to improve impaired locomotion of strain VC1927 Caenorhabditis elegans as a model for systemic sclerosis. It was hypothesized that the DHA omega-3 fatty acids would improve the locomotion of mutated C. elegans the most when compared to the EPA and ALA omega-3 fatty acids experimental groups. Procedures include the mutated C. elegans were left in the Petri dishes for one week to ensure that the nematodes were able to move through the entire agar. The VC1927 C. elegans were transferred to the different quadrant-divided Petri dishes using a scoring method. The four compartments were for the different omega-3 fatty acid and K12 E. coli solutions groups that were fed to the nematodes. The groups include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and, what served as the control group, a plain K12 E. coli solution. The K12 E. coli solutions were made using 20 mL of K12 E. coli and 2 μg of the omega-3 fatty acids. The data acquirement began after the different 100 μL K12 E. coli solutions were fed to the corresponding mutated C. elegans using micropipettes the movement of mutated C. elegans was video recorded for 30 seconds using an iPhone held up to the lens of the stereoscope. This data was then put into the Tracker Video Analysis and Modeling Tool software. Statistical results from the one-way ANOVA test showed that F(3, 116) = 5.3482, p < 0.0017. A post-hoc Tukey test showed no significant difference between the means of the control group and the treatment groups. The results of the study indicate that DHA omega-3 fatty acids possibly cannot be used to treat the motility of systemic sclerosis.