Antiatherogenic effects of n-3 fatty acids - evidence and mechanisms

N-3 (omega-3) (polyunsaturated) fatty acids are thought to display a variety of beneficial effects for human health. Clues to the occurrence of cardiovascular protective effects have been, however, the spur for the first biomedical interest in these compounds, and are the best documented. Historically, the epidemiologic association between dietary consumption of n-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular protection was first suggested by Bang and Dyerberg, who identified the high consumption of fish, and therefore, of fish oil-derived n-3 fatty acids, as the likely explanation for the strikingly low rate of coronary heart disease events reported in the Inuit population. Since their initial reports, research has proceeded in parallel to provide further evidence for their cardioprotection and to understand underlying mechanisms. Decreased atherogenesis is currently thought to be a part of the cardiovascular protection by n-3 fatty acids. This article summarizes the evidence for such a claim and the mechanisms putatively involved.

• Publication year

  2006

• Venue

  Heart International

• Publication date

  2006-12-15

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.4081/hi.2006.141PMID 21977264PMCID 3184672
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• The composition of food consumed by Greenland Eskimos.

  2009influential reference
• Contrasting effect of fish oil supplementation on the development of atherosclerosis in murine models.

  2006cited by this paper
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids and the Regulation of Expression of Endothelial Pro-Atherogenic and Pro-Inflammatory Genes

  2005cited by this paper
• Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on cardiovascular events in Japanese patients with hypercholesterolemia: rationale, design, and baseline characteristics of the Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS).

  2003cited by this paper
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease: New Recommendations From the American Heart Association

  2003cited by this paper
• Antiarrhythmic effects of omega-3 fatty acids: from epidemiology to bedside.

  2003cited by this paper
• Effect of dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids on progression of atherosclerosis in carotid arteries.

  2002cited by this paper
• Effect of dietary supplementation with v -3 fatty acids on progression of atherosclerosis in carotid arteries

  2002cited by this paper
• Blood levels of long-chain n-3 fatty acids and the risk of sudden death.

  2002cited by this paper
• Of murine models

  2002cited by this paper
• Prevention of postcoronary angioplasty restenosis by omega-3 fatty acids: main results of the Esapent for Prevention of Restenosis ITalian Study (ESPRIT).

  2002cited by this paper
• n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and the cardiovascular system.

  2000cited by this paper
• FISH CONSUMPTION AND THE 30-YEAR RISK OF FATAL MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

  2000cited by this paper
• n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and the cardiovascular system.

  2000cited by this paper
• Dietary Supplementation With n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Vitamin E After Myocardial Infarction: Results of the Gissi-Prevenzione Trial

  2000cited by this paper
• Dietary fish oil reduces intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and scavenger receptor expression on murine macrophages.

  2000cited by this paper
• Fish oil supplementation prevents neointima formation in nonhypercholesterolemic balloon-injured rabbit carotid artery by reducing medial and adventitial cell activation.

  2000cited by this paper
• Importance of n-3 fatty acids in health and disease.

  2000cited by this paper
• Endothelial dysfunctions: common denominators in vascular disease.

  2000cited by this paper
• n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids and the cardiovascular system

  2000cited by this paper
• Hyperlipidemia and atherosclerotic lesion development in LDL receptor-deficient mice fed defined semipurified diets with and without cholate.

  1999cited by this paper
• Oleic acid inhibits endothelial activation : A direct vascular antiatherogenic mechanism of a nutritional component in the mediterranean diet.

  1999cited by this paper
• Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E after myocardial infarction: results of the GISSI-Prevenzione trial. Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto miocardico.

  1999cited by this paper
• Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E after myocardial infarction: results of the GISSI-Prevenzione trial. Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto miocardico.

  1999cited by this paper
• Dietary omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 unsaturated fatty acids and growth factor and cytokine gene expression in unstimulated and stimulated monocytes. A randomized volunteer study.

  1999influential reference
• Concentration of serum lipids and aortic lesion size in female and male apo E-deficient mice fed docosahexaenoic acid.

  1999cited by this paper
• Dietary ω-3, ω-6, and ω-9 Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Growth Factor and Cytokine Gene Expression in Unstimulated and Stimulated Monocytes A Randomized Volunteer Study

  1999cited by this paper
• The role of vitamin E on the anti-atherosclerotic effect of fish oil in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

  1999cited by this paper
• Low-cholesterol and high-fat diets reduce atherosclerotic lesion development in ApoE-knockout mice.

  1999cited by this paper
• The effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acids on coronary atherosclerosis. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

  1999cited by this paper
• Vitamin E supplementation attenuates myointimal proliferation of the abdominal aorta after balloon injury in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

  1998cited by this paper
• Mouse models of atherosclerosis.

  1998cited by this paper
• Comparison of the effects of fish oil and olive oil on blood lipids and aortic atherosclerosis in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidaemic rabbits

  1998cited by this paper
• Structural requirements for inhibition of cytokine-induced endothelial activation by unsaturated fatty acids.

  1998cited by this paper
• n-3 fatty acids and serum lipoproteins: human studies.

  1997cited by this paper
• Both dietary fish-oil supplementation and aspirin fail to inhibit atherosclerosis in long-term vein bypass grafts in moderately hypercholesterolemic nonhuman primates.

  1997cited by this paper
• Dietary fish oil. Influence on lesion regression in the porcine model of atherosclerosis.

  1997cited by this paper
• n-3 fatty acids and serum lipoproteins: animal studies.

  1997influential reference
• Fish consumption and the 30-year risk of fatal myocardial infarction.

  1997cited by this paper
• Fish oils and low-molecular-weight heparin for the reduction of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. The EMPAR Study.

  1996cited by this paper
• Effect of dietary supplementation with n-3 fatty acids on coronary artery bypass graft patency.

  1996cited by this paper
• Mouse Models of Atherosclerosis

  1996cited by this paper
• Coronary plaque disruption.

  1995cited by this paper
• Quantitation of atherosclerosis in murine models: correlation between lesions in the aortic origin and in the entire aorta, and differences in the extent of lesions between sexes in LDL receptor-deficient and apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

  1995cited by this paper
• Controlled trial of fish oil for regression of human coronary atherosclerosis. HARP Research Group.

  1995cited by this paper
• Docosahexaenoic acid selectively attenuates induction of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and subsequent monocytic cell adhesion to human endothelial cells stimulated by tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

  1995influential reference
• Nitric oxide decreases cytokine-induced endothelial activation. Nitric oxide selectively reduces endothelial expression of adhesion molecules and proinflammatory cytokines.

  1995cited by this paper
• Fish oil supplementation attenuates myointimal proliferation of the abdominal aorta after balloon injury in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

  1995cited by this paper
• Dietary polyunsaturated fat modifies low-density lipoproteins and reduces atherosclerosis of nonhuman primates with high and low diet responsiveness.

  1995cited by this paper
• Omega-3 fatty acids and endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecules.

  1995cited by this paper
• Transcriptional regulation of endothelial cell adhesion molecules: NF‐κB and cytokine‐inducible enhancers

  1995cited by this paper
• n-3 fatty acid incorporation into LDL particles renders them more susceptible to oxidation in vitro but not necessarily more atherogenic in vivo.

  1994cited by this paper
• Dietary polyunsaturated fat decreases coronary artery atherosclerosis in a pediatric-aged population of African green monkeys.

  1994cited by this paper
• Do fish oils prevent restenosis after coronary angioplasty?

  1994cited by this paper
• The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis: a perspective for the 1990s

  1993cited by this paper
• A prospective, randomized, and double-blind trial on the effect of fish oil on the incidence of restenosis following PTCA.

  1993cited by this paper
• Development and regression of atherosclerosis in pigs. Effects of n-3 fatty acids, their incorporation into plasma and aortic plaque lipids, and granulocyte function.

  1993cited by this paper
• Dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids prevent the development of atherosclerotic lesions in mice. Modulation of macrophage secretory activities.

  1993cited by this paper
• Endothelial nuclear factor-kappa B and the initiation of the atherosclerotic lesion.

  1993cited by this paper
• Interruption of Vascular Thrombus Formation and Vascular Lesion Formation by Dietary n‐3 Fatt Acids in Fish Oil in Nonhuman Primates

  1993cited by this paper
• Atherosclerosis in Alaska Natives and non-natives.

  1993cited by this paper
• Hypercholesterolemia in low density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice and its reversal by adenovirus-mediated gene delivery.

  1993cited by this paper
• Dietary omega-3 fatty acids lower levels of platelet-derived growth factor mRNA in human mononuclear cells.

  1993cited by this paper
• Severe hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice created by homologous recombination in ES cells.

  1992cited by this paper
• Fish oil supplements for prevention of restenosis after coronary angioplasty.

  1992cited by this paper
• Spontaneous hypercholesterolemia and arterial lesions in mice lacking apolipoprotein E.

  1992cited by this paper
• Can supplementation of diet with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce coronary angioplasty restenosis rate?

  1992cited by this paper
• The influence of fish oil supplementation on plasma lipoproteins and arterial lipids in vervet monkeys with established atherosclerosis.

  1992cited by this paper
• Double‐Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Fish Oil Supplements in Prevention of Recurrence of Stenosis After Coronary Angioplasty

  1992cited by this paper
• Suppression of Atherogenesis by n-3 Fatty Acids in the Cholesterol-Fed Rabbit

  1991cited by this paper
• Atherosclerosis. Chronic effects of fish oil and a therapeutic diet in nonhuman primates.

  1991cited by this paper
• Studies on the effect of dietary fish oil on the physical and chemical properties of low density lipoproteins in cynomolgus monkeys.

  1991cited by this paper
• MaxEPA fish oil enhances cholesterol-induced intimal foam cell formation in rabbits.

  1990cited by this paper
• Effect of a high fat/cholesterol diet with or without eicosapentaenoic acid on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and lipid transfer protein activity in the marmoset.

  1990cited by this paper
• Regression of atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed rabbits: effects of fish oil and verapamil.

  1990cited by this paper
• Cardiovascular deaths among Alaskan Natives, 1980-86.

  1990cited by this paper
• Effect of eicosapentaenoic acid on restenosis rate, clinical course and blood lipids in patients after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

  1990cited by this paper
• Effect of dietary fish oil on coronary artery and aortic atherosclerosis in African green monkeys.

  1990cited by this paper
• Dietary omega 3 fatty acids and endothelium-dependent relaxations in porcine coronary arteries.

  1989cited by this paper
• Usefulness of fish oil supplements in preventing clinical evidence of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

  1989cited by this paper
• Randomised trial of fish oil for prevention of restenosis after coronary angioplasty.

  1989cited by this paper
• Development of Atherosclerosis in Genetically Hyperlipidemic Rabbits during Chronic Fish‐oil Ingestion

  1989cited by this paper
• Determinants of restenosis and lack of effect of dietary supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid on the incidence of coronary artery restenosis after angioplasty.

  1989cited by this paper
• Effects of dietary supplementation with cod liver oil on monocyte thromboplastin synthesis, coagulation and fibrinolysis

  1989cited by this paper
• Effects of changes in fat, fish, and fibre intakes on death and myocardial reinfarction: diet and reinfarction trial (DART).

  1989cited by this paper
• Fish oil decreases hepatic cholesteryl ester secretion but not apoB secretion in African green monkeys.

  1989cited by this paper
• Mackerel oil and atherosclerosis in pigs.

  1989cited by this paper
• The effect of dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on the synthesis of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor by mononuclear cells.

  1989cited by this paper
• Does platelet aggregation play a role in the reduction in localized intimal proliferation in normolipidemic pigs with fixed coronary artery stenosis fed dietary fish oil?

  1989cited by this paper
• Dietary marine oil supplements fail to affect cholesterol metabolism or inhibit atherosclerosis in rabbits with diet-induced hypercholesterolemia.

  1989cited by this paper
• Does platelet aggregation play a role in the reduction in localized intimal proliferation in normolipidemic pigs with fixed coronary artery stenosis fed dietary fish oil

  1989cited by this paper
• Modification of lipoprotein patterns and retardation of atherogenesis by a fish oil supplement to a hyperlipidemic diet for swine.

  1989cited by this paper
• Effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acid on serum lipids, platelet function, and atherosclerosis in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits.

  1989cited by this paper
• The effect of fish oil on atherogenesis and thrombopoiesis in rabbits on high cholesterol diet.

  1988cited by this paper
• Cardiovascular effects of N-3 fatty acids.

  1988cited by this paper
• Reduction in the rate of early restenosis after coronary angioplasty by a diet supplemented with n-3 fatty acids.

  1988cited by this paper
• Fish oils inhibit endothelial cell production of platelet-derived growth factor-like protein.

  1988cited by this paper
• Cardiovascular effects of n-3 fatty acids.

  1988cited by this paper
• Fish Oil Inhibits Development of Atherosclerosis in Rhesus Monkeys

  1987cited by this paper
• Fish oil feeding results in an enhancement of cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis in rabbits.

  1987cited by this paper

• Association of dietary fats with ischemic heart disease (IHD): a case–control study

  2024cites this paper
• Inclusion of soybean and linseed oils in the diet of lactating dairy cows makes the milk fatty acid profile nutritionally healthier for the human diet

  2021cites this paper
• "Fishing" for the origins of the "Eskimos and heart disease" story: facts or wishful thinking?

  2014cites this paper
• The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid favorably modulates the inflammatory pathways and macrophage polarization within aorta of LDLR−/− mice

  2014cites this paper
• The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid favorably modulates the inflammatory pathways and macrophage polarization

  2014cites this paper
• Diet and endothelial function in healthy young people

  2013cites this paper
• Omega-3 fatty acids, atherogenesis, and endothelial activation

  2007cites this paper