[Anti-atherosclerotic properties of eicosapentaenoic acid: clinico-experimental study]

Administration of eicosapentaenic acid (EPA) preparations to patients with type IIb hyperlipoproteinemia brought about a 22-36-percent decrease in blood serum of total cholesterol, triglycerides, beta-lipoproteins, and total lipids. At the same time the administration of EPA preparations was followed by the acquisition of the antiatherosclerotic properties by the patients and healthy donors serum. This could be judged from the reduction of intracellular cholesterol accumulation and intensity of the proliferation of the cells of human aorta intima, inoculated into the culture of the study serum. The data obtained suggest that the antiatherosclerotic properties of the serum are determined to a certain degree by the correlation in it between EPA and arachidonic acid.