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Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from highly concentrated n-3 fatty acid ethyl esters is incorporated into advanced atherosclerotic plaques and higher plaque EPA is associated with decreased plaque inflammation and increased stability

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from highly concentrated n-3 fatty acid ethyl esters is incorporated into advanced atherosclerotic plaques and higher plaque EPA is associated with decreased plaque inflammation and increased stability
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from highly concentrated n-3 fatty acid ethyl esters is incorporated into advanced atherosclerotic plaques and higher plaque EPA is associated with decreased plaque inflammation and increased stability
Objective

To examine n?3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) incorporation into atherosclerotic plaques and the association with plaque inflammation and stability.

Methods and results

Patients awaiting carotid endarterectomy (n = 121) were randomised to consume control capsules or n?3 PUFA ethyl ester capsules until surgery (median 21 days). The fatty acid compositions of plasma and carotid plaque phospholipids, plaque features, and expression of inflammatory genes were determined. The proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was higher (P < 0.0001) in carotid plaque phospholipids in patients in the n?3 PUFA group. Plaques from patients in the n?3 PUFA group had fewer foam cells (P = 0.0390). There were no other differences between plaques in the two groups with regard to histological characteristics or morphology. Plaque stability was not different between the two groups. However, the EPA content of plaque phospholipids was inversely associated with plaque instability (P = 0.0209), plaque inflammation (P = 0.0108), the number of T cells in the plaque (P = 0.0097) and a summary score considering a range of plaque features (P = 0.0425). Plaques from patients who received n?3 PUFAs had significantly lower levels of mRNA for matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-7 (P = 0.0055), -9 (P = 0.0048) and -12 (P = 0.0044) and for interleukin-6 (P = 0.0395) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (P = 0.0142).

Conclusions

Atherosclerotic plaques readily incorporate EPA. A higher plaque EPA content is associated with a reduced number of foam cells and T cells, less inflammation and increased stability.
atherosclerosis, plaque, fatty acid, inflammation, metalloproteinase
0021-9150
252-259
Cawood, Abbie L.
4067d429-6ce8-4e50-b5f5-d8bf62aada79
Ding, Ren
bee03ae2-c98f-430b-973b-130f2f3f536b
Napper, Frances L.
73239135-94cb-45ac-aad4-b352773e2009
Young, Ruth H.
f976b349-f30d-4741-a056-ee53c3cb451e
Williams, Jennifer A.
caf89365-8b7b-4338-a8de-7835f506b40a
Ward, Matthew J.A.
9ba2223e-bb17-43a5-87b0-826a59e3a73a
Gudmundsen, Ola
ae03013e-aafe-42f5-8431-1dcb96ae605a
Vige, Runar
70e7262f-0669-472c-b755-ba1b05dcefc6
Payne, Simon P.K.
b5d2bc6b-f25c-4362-a8c0-021757057e76
Ye, Shu
132b6474-1927-4f93-80db-2c620a31c1ab
Shearman, Cliff P.
cf4d6317-f54d-4ab3-ba49-c6797897bbcf
Gallagher, Patrick J.
14c495ef-03bd-499e-8feb-b4d8fa4508cf
Grimble, Robert F.
3100e4d2-8f29-4ca6-a95d-38a6a764865f
Calder, P.C.
1797e54f-378e-4dcb-80a4-3e30018f07a6
Cawood, Abbie L.
4067d429-6ce8-4e50-b5f5-d8bf62aada79
Ding, Ren
bee03ae2-c98f-430b-973b-130f2f3f536b
Napper, Frances L.
73239135-94cb-45ac-aad4-b352773e2009
Young, Ruth H.
f976b349-f30d-4741-a056-ee53c3cb451e
Williams, Jennifer A.
caf89365-8b7b-4338-a8de-7835f506b40a
Ward, Matthew J.A.
9ba2223e-bb17-43a5-87b0-826a59e3a73a
Gudmundsen, Ola
ae03013e-aafe-42f5-8431-1dcb96ae605a
Vige, Runar
70e7262f-0669-472c-b755-ba1b05dcefc6
Payne, Simon P.K.
b5d2bc6b-f25c-4362-a8c0-021757057e76
Ye, Shu
132b6474-1927-4f93-80db-2c620a31c1ab
Shearman, Cliff P.
cf4d6317-f54d-4ab3-ba49-c6797897bbcf
Gallagher, Patrick J.
14c495ef-03bd-499e-8feb-b4d8fa4508cf
Grimble, Robert F.
3100e4d2-8f29-4ca6-a95d-38a6a764865f
Calder, P.C.
1797e54f-378e-4dcb-80a4-3e30018f07a6

Cawood, Abbie L., Ding, Ren, Napper, Frances L., Young, Ruth H., Williams, Jennifer A., Ward, Matthew J.A., Gudmundsen, Ola, Vige, Runar, Payne, Simon P.K., Ye, Shu, Shearman, Cliff P., Gallagher, Patrick J., Grimble, Robert F. and Calder, P.C. (2010) Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from highly concentrated n-3 fatty acid ethyl esters is incorporated into advanced atherosclerotic plaques and higher plaque EPA is associated with decreased plaque inflammation and increased stability. Atherosclerosis, 212 (1), 252-259. (doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2010.05.022). (PMID:20542512)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective

To examine n?3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) incorporation into atherosclerotic plaques and the association with plaque inflammation and stability.

Methods and results

Patients awaiting carotid endarterectomy (n = 121) were randomised to consume control capsules or n?3 PUFA ethyl ester capsules until surgery (median 21 days). The fatty acid compositions of plasma and carotid plaque phospholipids, plaque features, and expression of inflammatory genes were determined. The proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was higher (P < 0.0001) in carotid plaque phospholipids in patients in the n?3 PUFA group. Plaques from patients in the n?3 PUFA group had fewer foam cells (P = 0.0390). There were no other differences between plaques in the two groups with regard to histological characteristics or morphology. Plaque stability was not different between the two groups. However, the EPA content of plaque phospholipids was inversely associated with plaque instability (P = 0.0209), plaque inflammation (P = 0.0108), the number of T cells in the plaque (P = 0.0097) and a summary score considering a range of plaque features (P = 0.0425). Plaques from patients who received n?3 PUFAs had significantly lower levels of mRNA for matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-7 (P = 0.0055), -9 (P = 0.0048) and -12 (P = 0.0044) and for interleukin-6 (P = 0.0395) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (P = 0.0142).

Conclusions

Atherosclerotic plaques readily incorporate EPA. A higher plaque EPA content is associated with a reduced number of foam cells and T cells, less inflammation and increased stability.

Other
1-s2.0-S0021915010004004-main.pdf__tid=5d539734-3fd2-11e3-b453-00000aab0f6b&acdnat=1382966029_d48f16f5e516bd6233578d4dc312b1a7 - Version of Record
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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 20 May 2010
Published date: September 2010
Keywords: atherosclerosis, plaque, fatty acid, inflammation, metalloproteinase
Organisations: Faculty of Medicine, Dev Origins of Health & Disease

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 181879
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/181879
ISSN: 0021-9150
PURE UUID: 2108beaa-dd3e-423d-a115-8466be9d3a6c
ORCID for P.C. Calder: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6038-710X

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 18 Apr 2011 08:42
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:50

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Contributors

Author: Abbie L. Cawood
Author: Ren Ding
Author: Frances L. Napper
Author: Ruth H. Young
Author: Jennifer A. Williams
Author: Matthew J.A. Ward
Author: Ola Gudmundsen
Author: Runar Vige
Author: Simon P.K. Payne
Author: Shu Ye
Author: Patrick J. Gallagher
Author: Robert F. Grimble
Author: P.C. Calder ORCID iD

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