title: Dietary supplementation with marine fish oil improves in vitro small artery endothelial function in hypercholesterolemic patients: a double-blind placebo-controlled study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Marine fish oils improve vascular function, but the mechanism of benefit is unclear. We conducted a study to examine the effects of fish oils given to hypercholesterolemic patients on small artery function in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, subcutaneous gluteal fat biopsies were taken from 16 hypercholesterolemic patients (serum total cholesterol, 7.97+/-0.16 mmol/L [mean+/-SEM]) and 12 age- and sex-matched control subjects (mean cholesterol, 5.11+/-0.34 mmol/L). Small arteries were mounted on a wire myograph for isometric tension experiments. Patients and control subjects were randomized to receive fish oil (Maxepa 5 capsules BID) or placebo for 3 months. A second biopsy was taken and the studies were repeated. Relaxation to acetylcholine was significantly improved in the hypercholesterolemic group given Maxepa but not in the placebo group (mean maximum relaxation before and after, 48+/-6.2% and 68.83+/-2.19%, P=.0054). The dysfunction was not restored to control values (84.3+/-5.2%, P=.0002). There was also a smaller but significant impairment in endothelium-independent relaxation provoked by sodium nitroprusside (P<.01). A good correlation between the increase in eicosapentanoic acid (n=3) in red cell membrane and improvement in relaxation in the hypercholesterolemic group given fish oils was seen (r=.781, P<.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Marine fish oil significantly improved endothelial function in peripheral small arteries in hypercholesterolemia patients. This may provide a mechanism for the beneficial effects of these fatty acids in coronary heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK. Tony.Heagerty@man.ac.uk
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Goode
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Heagerty
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014664:Vasodilation
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D005395:Fish Oils; D008055:Lipids