Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and are abundant in fish oil. These n-3 PUFAs have been reported to improve the lower gastrointestinal (LGI) disorders such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease through their anti-inflammatory effects. However, there are few studies on the effect of n-3 PUFAs on motility of the LGI tract, such as the ileum and colon, the parts frequently affected by these inflammatory disorders. To elucidate the effects of DHA and EPA on the LGI tract motility, we performed comparative evaluation of their effects and linoleic acid (LA), an n-6 PUFA, on contractions in the ileal and colonic longitudinal smooth muscles (LSMs) isolated from guinea pigs. In the ileal and colonic LSMs, DHA and EPA (3 10 5 M each) significantly inhibited contractions induced by acetylcholine (ACh), histamine, and prostaglandin (PG) F 2α (vs. control), and these effects are stronger than that of LA (3 10 5 M). In the colonic LSMs, DHA and EPA also significantly inhibited contractions induced by PGD 2 (vs. control). In addition, DHA and EPA significantly inhibited CaCl 2 -induced ileal and colonic LSM contractions in Ca 2 -free 80 mM-KCl solution (vs. control). Any ileal and colonic LSM contractions induced by ACh, histamine, PGF 2α , and CaCl 2 were completely suppressed by verapamil (10 5 M), a voltage-gated/dependent Ca 2 channel (VGCC/VDCC) inhibitor. These findings suggest that DHA and EPA could improve the abnormal contractile functions of the LGI tract associated with inflammatory diseases, partly through inhibition of VGCC/VDCC-dependent ileal and colonic LSM contractions.

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DHA and EPA, which are n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), has been reported to improve LGI disorders such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease through their anti-inflammatory effects. However, there are few studies on the effects of these PUFAs on the motilities of LGI tracts such as ileum and colon, in which these inflammatory disorders frequently occur. In order to clarify the effects of DHA and EPA on LGI tract motilities, we examined their effects on the contractions of ileal and colonic longitudinal smooth muscles (SMs) isolated from the guinea pig, by comparing them with those of an n-6 PUFA, linoleic acid (LA). In both ileal and colonic SMs, DHA and EPA (3 × 10 −5 M each) significantly inhibited any contractions due to acetylcholine (ACh), histamine, and prostaglandin (PG) F 2α , and these inhibitory effects were more potent than those of LA. DHA and EPA also significantly inhibited CaCl 2induced contractions constructed in Ca 2+ -free high-KCl solution. Any contractions induced by ACh, histamine, and PGF 2α were completely suppressed by verapamil (10 −5 M). These findings suggest that DHA and EPA could suppressLGI tracts' contractile functions excessively enhanced in association with inflammatory diseases partly through inhibition of voltage-gated Ca 2+ channel-dependent ileal and colonic SM contractions.