N-Docosahexaenoyl dopamine (DHA-DA) is an amine conjugate of the neurotransmitter dopamine and the polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid . DHA-DA is actively transported into the brain following intraperitoneal injections in mice, resulting in reduced general locomotor activity of 35-40% at a dose of 5 mg/kg.1 It is theorized that the DHA portion of the molecule serves as a carrier for DA through the blood-brain barrier via a DHA-mediated transport system.1 DHA-DA exhibits immune-modulating, anti-inflammatory activity in the range of 0.1-2.5 ?M, suppressing the production of nitric oxide, IL-6, CCL20, MCP-1, and PGE2 in LPS-stimulated macrophages and microglial cells without affecting NF-κB activity.2
1.Shashoua, V.E., and Hesse, G.W.N-Docosahexaenoyl, 3-hydroxytyramine: A dopaminergic compound that penetrates the blood-brain barrier and suppresses appetiteLife Sci.58(16)1347-1357(1996) 2.Wang, Y., Plastina, P., Vincken, J.-P., et al.N-docosahexaenoyl dopamine, an endocannabinoid-like conjugate of dopamine and the n-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid, attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of microglia and macrophages via COX-2ACS Chem. Neurosci.Epub ahead of print(2016)