The vascular effects of omega-3 fatty acids

Much has been learned in the past two decades about the impact of omega-3 fatty acids on human biology. These distinctive fatty acids are derived principally from marine sources such as fish and fish oil. They are rapidly incorporated into cell membranes after their ingestion in the diet and subsequently may alter a myriad of cellular functions. For example, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid may inhibit the synthesis of several prostaglandins and leukotrienes, as well as reduce the cellular production of cytokines or growth factors such as interleukin-1 or platelet-derived growth factor. Some of these functional changes found after fish-oil ingestion may have therapeutic implications in the treatment of human disease. Studies are now underway to investigate the effect of fish-oil preparations or more-purified omega-3 fatty acids on arterial injury, thrombosis or atherosclerosis, as well as to study their effects in certain inflammatory or cutaneous disorders, such as psoriasis. This paper will review the current body of research on marine oils and will focus specifically on the effects of omega-3 fatty acids in vascular biology and associated disease states. The potential toxicity of these fatty acids will be discussed, as well as current indications (or lack of them) for their therapeutic use in humans.