title: Highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid reduces cardio-ankle vascular index in association with decreased serum amyloid A-LDL in metabolic syndrome.
abstract: A recent clinical trial revealed that highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, reduces the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. However, the detailed mechanism underlying the anti-atherogenic effect of EPA is still poorly understood. In this study, we examined the effect of EPA on cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), a new index of arterial stiffness that is less influenced by blood pressure (BP), as well as on serum amyloid A-low-density lipoprotein (SAA-LDL), an oxidized LDL (oxLDL), in the metabolic syndrome. Ninety-two obese Japanese subjects with metabolic syndromes were randomly divided into two groups (n=46): the EPA-treated group (1.8 g administered daily for 3 months) and the control group. Measurements were taken to assess the changes in glucose-lipid metabolism, SAA-LDL, C-reactive protein (CRP), leptin, adiponectin and pulse wave velocity (PWV), and CAVI. EPA treatment significantly reduced the levels of immunoreactive insulin, triglycerides, SAA-LDL, CRP, PWV and CAVI and increased the levels of adiponectin relative to the control group for 3 months (P<0.05). Stepwise multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that the only significant determinant for a decrease in CAVI by EPA is a reduction in SAA-LDL (P<0.05). Moreover, the EPA-induced reduction of SAA-LDL was only significantly correlated with a decrease in total cholesterol and an increase in adiponectin (P<0.05). This study is the first demonstration that EPA improves arterial stiffness and is less influenced by BP, possibly through the suppression of SAA-LDL, thereby leading to a reduction in the frequency of cardiovascular disease development in metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Division of Diabetic Research, National Hospital Organization, Kyoto Medical Center, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. nsato@kyotolan.hosp.go.jp
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimatsu
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kotani
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Himeno
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Majima
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suganami
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D016037:Single-Blind Method
chemical_list: D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid