title: Inhibitory effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on receptor-mediated non-selective cation currents in rat A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells.
abstract: 1. The effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on receptor-mediated non-selective cation current (Icat) and K+ current were investigated in aortic smooth muscle cells from foetal rat aorta (A7r5 cells). The whole-cell voltage clamp technique was employed. 2. With a K(+)-containing solution, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 30 microM) produced an outward current at a holding potential of -40 mV. This response was inhibited by tetraethylammonium (20 mM) or Cs+ in the patch pipette solution, and the reversal potential of the EPA-induced current followed the K+ equilibrium potential in a near Nernstian manner. 3. Under conditions with a Cs(+)-containing pipette solution, both vasopressin and endothelin-1 (100 nM) induced a long-lasting inward current at a holding potential of -60 mV. The reversal potential of these agonist-induced currents was about +0 mV, and was not significantly altered by the replacement of the extracellular or intracellular Cl+ concentration, suggesting that the induced current was a cation-selective current (Icat). 4. La3+ and Cd2+ (1 mM) completely abolished these agonist-induced Icat, but nifedipine (10 microM) failed to inhibit it significantly. 5. omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (3-100 microM), EPA, DHA and docosapentaenoic acids (DPA), inhibited the agonist-induced Icat in a concentration-dependent manner. The potency of the inhibitory effect was EPA > DHA > DPA, and the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of EPA was about 7 microM. 6. Arachidonic and linoleic acids (10, 30 microM) showed a smaller inhibitory effect compared to omega-3 fatty acids. Also, oleic and stearic acids (30 microM) did not show a significant inhibitory effect on Icat. 7. A similar inhibitory action of EPA was observed when Icat was activated by intracellularly applied GTP gamma S in the absence of agonists, suggesting that the site of action of omega-3 fatty acids is not located on the receptor. 8. These results demonstrate that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can activate a K+ current and also effectively inhibit receptor-mediated non-selective cation currents in rat A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells. Thus, the data suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may play an important role in the regulation of vascular tone.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwasawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hazama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Omata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soma
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okuda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016244:Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate) / Q000494:pharmacology; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D007473:Ion Channels; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D016244:Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate)