Docosahexaenoyl Ethanolamide

Docosahexaenoyl Ethanolamide (DHEA) is an ethanolamine amide of DHA that has been detected in both retina and brain at concentrations similar to those for arachidonoyl ethanolamide (AEA). Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) is an essential fatty acid and the most abundant ω-3 fatty acid in neural tissues, particularly in the retina and brain. A 9.5 fold increase of DHEA was observed in brain lipid extracts from piglets on a DHA-supplemented diet compared to a DHA-free control diet. DHEA binds rat brain CB1 receptor with a K_i of 324 nM, which is about 10-fold higher than the K_i for AEA. DHEA inhibits shaker-related voltage-gated potassium channels in the brain slightly better than AEA, with an IC₅₀ of 1.5 μM.