Abstract
It has been recognized that endothelial cell migration is an important process in the regeneration of injury in blood vessels. In this study, we examined the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids on the migration of cultured endothelial cells using a modified Boyden chamber. When endothelial cells isolated from bovine carotid artery were pretreated for 2 days with 5 μg/ml of either arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid, every polyunsaturated fatty acid was incorporated substantially into cellular phospholipids. The content of arachidonic acid increased from 9.27 to 23.9% by the arachidonic acid pretreatment, and that of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid increased from 9.57 to 11.85% by the eicosapentaenoic acid pretreatment and from 5.56 to 18.40% by the docosahexaenoic acid pretreatment, respectively. Pretreatment of the cells with 0.5–5.0 μ/ml of eicosapentaenoic acid resulted in a dose-dependent increase in endothelial migration in response to fetal bovine serum. In contrast, pretreatment of the cells with arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid had no effects on the cell migration. If eicosapentaenoic acid, however, was added directly to the migration assay system instead of the pretreatment, it did not show a profile of chemotactic factor. The eicosapentaenoic acid pretreatment also potentiated cell migration activity in response to several other chemotactic factors such as basic fibroblast growth factor, tumor necrosis factor-α and leukotriene C 4. The effect of eicosapentaenoic acid on porcine smooth muscle cell migration was also examined. Although eicosapentaenoic acid was similarly incorporated into cellular phospholipids of smooth muscle cells by the pretreatment for 2 days, no stimulative effect was observed in the migration of smooth muscle cells at any doses (0.5–5.0 μg/ml). These data suggest that the preventive effect of eicosapentaenoic acid on atherosclerosis is, at least partly, due to its stimulative effect on endothelial cell migration.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
