Effects of Dietary omega-3 Fatty Acids on Restenosis Induced by Ballon Angioplasty in the Rabbit Thoracic Aorta

Baik, Yung Hong; Kim, Kwan Sik; Kim, Mi Young; Kook, Hyun

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate effects of omega-3 fatty acids (omega-EFAs) on functional changes of endothelium impaired by balloon angioplasty (AP) via femoral artery in the rabbit thoracic aorta. Microscopic analysis showed that endothelial cells of AP-0 week (W) group were certainly impaired and that the impaired cells of AP-4W partially regenerated. The endothelial cells of AP-omega-4W were much more proliferated than the AP-4W. The serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL cholesterol decreased significantly in AP-omega-4W to compare with the control group. KCl elicited contractile responses in all tested groups and no differences among the contractions of the groups were not observed. Acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) produced concentration-dependent relaxations in the control (Non-AP) rings precontracted with 10-5 M phenylephrine. The relaxation induced by ACh was abolished in AP-0W and AP-1W groups, and it recovered in a part in AP-4W. The ACh-induced relaxation was significantly potentiated in P-omega-1W and AP-omega-4W groups than the relaxation of each corresponding group, AP-1W or AP-4W. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) elicited contractions in a concentration-dependnet manner in all tested groups. The 5-HT-induced contraction was markedly potentiated in AP-0W and AP-1W groups, and this supersensitivity to 5-HT induced by the AP decreased slightly in AP-4W. The supersensitivity to 5-HT markedly decreased in AP-omega-1W and AP-omega-4W than in each corresponding group. Above results suggest that the decline of endothelial function induced by balloon angioplasty in rabbit thoracic aorta was partially recovered by chronic feeding of omega-EFAs and a beneficial effect of omega-EFAs on the impaired endothelial function is related to lowering action of the serum cholesterol level.