Antihypertensive Effect of All-cis-5,8,11,14,17-Icosapentaenoate of Aged Rats Is Associated with an Increase in the Release of ATP from the Caudal Artery

Abstract

Fish oils have been shown to lower blood pressure in hypertensive subjects. All-cis-5,8,11,14,17-icosapentaenoate (EPA), one of the ω–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, is known to be one of the major active components in fish oil that has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. However, little is known about the antihypertensive effect of EPA alone on blood pressure. In the present study, we have determined the spontaneous and noradrenaline-evoked release of ATP, ADP, AMP, and adenosine from caudal arteries of aged (100 weeks old) Wistar rats which were fed a standard diet or a high cholesterol diet, treated with EPA. Dietary EPA administration increased plasma and caudal arterial EPA concentrations and repressed increases in blood pressure with advancing age in both aged rats with and without hypercholesterolemia. In addition, noradrenaline (1 µmol/l) evoked a significantly greater release of purines from the caudal arteries of EPA-administered aged rats compared to both sets of control rats. Regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between the total amount of purines released from the artery and blood pressure. These results suggest that administration of EPA to aged rats increases the release of ATP from the vascular endothelial cells, leading to repression of the blood pressure rise seen with advancing age.

The protective effect of dietary eicosapentaenoic acid against impairment of spatial cognition learning ability in rats infused with amyloid β(1–40)

“…This speculation is consistent with the fact that DHA is taken into neurons from the extracellular medium after its release from glial cells or the capillary endothelium [14]. Indeed, increased DHA and EPA levels in the plasma raise the fatty acid unsaturation index in rat caudal arteries [18,19]. Moreover, lysophosphatidylcholine may be a transporter of DHA in the blood-brain barrier [20].…”

Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Potential of Purinergic Signaling

“…ATP has been used to treat meconium aspiration-induced pulmonary hypertension in pigs (Kääpä et al, 1997). Eicosapentaenoic acid, one of the active components in fish oil that has antihypertensive effects, increases the release of ATP from vascular endothelial cells, leading to reduction of the blood pressure rise characteristic of aging (Hashimoto et al, 1998). It has been proposed that there is prognostic value of stress myocardial perfusion imaging using ATP at the beginning of hemodialysis treatment in patients with end-stage renal disease (Hase et al, 2004).…”

Comparative Effects of Oyster Mushrooms on Lipid Profile, Liver and Kidney Function in Hypercholesterolemic Rats

“…Arachidonic acid exacerbates platelet functions (Hossain et al, 1999a), whereas linolenic acid (LNA) acts as a precursor of the physiologically important PUFA, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; C 20:5 , ω-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C 22:6 , ω3) (Schmidt et al, 2001). There is considerable data supporting the hypothesis that the health benefit obtained through the lowering of blood cholesterol may be derived from the effects of EPA and DHA (Hashimoto et al, 1998). In addition to their roles in the development and function of the central nervous system, these two fatty acids play an important role in the physiological functions of the cardiovascular system (Hashimoto et.…”