Modulation of Endothelial Progenitor Cells by Polyunsaturated Omega‐3 Fatty Acids

Abstract

Introduction Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-3 PUFA) are emerging as dietary and pharmaceutical agents with multiple health benefits in both cancer and cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an Omega-3 PUFA, may in part be mediated by its effects on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which are key components of angiogenesis in both cardiovascular disease and cancer. Methods EPCs were isolated as previously published from umbilical cord blood and cultured on collagen in endothelial growth medium. We exposed them for 24 hours to varying doses of DHA. Cell growth was assessed by cell counts and also by flow cytometric analysis of DNA content. Results Cell counts demonstrated that the mean EPC number showed a trend towards an increase in low DHA doses of 1 micromolar, from a baseline mean of 169000 to 201000 cells per well. Interestingly, the cell number decreased at 20 micromolar DHA to lower than baseline levels of 128000 cells per well. DNA staining suggested a similar dose-dependent effect, but also showed inter-individual variation in the DHA effects. Conclusions Our results suggest that DHA may have a biphasic effect on EPC growth. This may explain why omega-3 PUFA can be beneficial in cardiovascular disease, where EPC growth would be required and also have benefits in cancer, where EPC growth and angiogenesis need to be inhibited.