Journal
CURRENT OPINION IN CELL BIOLOGY
Volume 17, Issue 2, Pages 174-182Publisher
CURRENT BIOLOGY LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2005.02.005
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Funding
- NIDDK NIH HHS [DK22042] Funding Source: Medline
- NIGMS NIH HHS [GM68848] Funding Source: Medline
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Skepticism about the health benefits of fish oil is largely the result of our incomplete understanding of the biochemistry of omega 3 essential fatty acids. Recent work has confirmed the roles of omega 3 fatty acids in gene transcription and signal transduction, and has given insight into the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and the EPA/arachidonic acid (AA) ratio on prostanoid (PG) metabolism and function. One pronounced effect of fish-oil-induced increases in EPA/AA ratios is decreased PG formation from AA via cyclooxygenase-1, because EPA inhibits this isoform. In addition, cells lacking endogenous alkyl-peroxide-generating systems and thus having a low 'peroxide tone' cannot oxygenate EPA via cyclooxygenase-1. Platelets, however, which are equipped with a lipoxygenase that can produce an abundance of hydroperoxide from AA, can form small amounts of thromboxane A(3) from EPA via cyclooxygenase-1. A second major consequence of elevated EPA/AA ratios is significantly increased production of 3-series PGs, including PGE(3), via cyclooxygenase-2. There are four PGE receptor subtypes and at least one of these types - not yet identified - has a significantly different response to PGE(3) than to PGE(2); this difference may underlie the ability of omega 3 fatty acids to mitigate inflammation and tumorigenesis.
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