Abstract-Dietary -3 fatty acids retard coronary atherosclerosis. Previously, we demonstrated that dietary -3 fatty acids reduce platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A and PDGF-B mRNA levels in unstimulated, human mononuclear cells (MNCs). In a randomized, investigator-blinded intervention trial, we have now compared the effect of ingestion of 7 g/d -3, -6, or -9 fatty acids for 4 weeks versus no dietary intervention on PDGF-A, PDGF-B, heparin-bound epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and interleukin-10 gene expression in unstimulated MNCs and in monocytes that were adherence-activated ex vivo in a total of 28 volunteers. In unstimulated MNCs, mRNA steady-state levels of PDGF-A, PDGF-B, and MCP-1 were reduced by 25Ϯ10%, 31Ϯ13%, and 40Ϯ14%, respectively, after -3 fatty acid ingestion, as assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (all PϽ0.05). In monocytes that were adherence-activated ex vivo for 4 and 20 hours, mRNA steady-state levels of PDGF-A, PDGF-B, and MCP-1 were reduced by 25Ϯ13%, 20Ϯ15%, and 30Ϯ8%, respectively (all PϽ0.05). Interleukin-10 and HB-EGF mRNA steady-state levels were not influenced by -3 fatty acid ingestion. Expression of all respective mRNAs in control volunteers or in those ingesting -6 or -9 fatty acids were not altered. We conclude that human gene expression for PDGF-A, PDGF-B, and MCP-1, factors thought relevant to atherosclerosis, is constitutive, is constant, and can be reduced only by dietary -3 fatty acids in unstimulated and adherence-activated monocytes. Key Words: mRNA Ⅲ platelet-derived growth factor Ⅲ monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 Ⅲ interleukin-10 Ⅲ heparin-bound epidermal growth factor
