Antihypertensive effect of all-cis-5,8,11,14,17-icosapentaenoate of aged rats is associated with an increase in the release of ATP from the caudal artery.

Fish oils have been shown to lower blood pressure in hypertensive subjects. All-cis-5,8,11,14,17-icosapentaenoate (EPA), one of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, is known to be one of the major active components in fish oil that has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. However, little is known about the antihypertensive effect of EPA alone on blood pressure. In the present study, we have determined the spontaneous and noradrenaline-evoked release of ATP, ADP, AMP, and adenosine from caudal arteries of aged (100 weeks old) Wistar rats which were fed a standard diet or a high cholesterol diet, treated with EPA. Dietary EPA administration increased plasma and caudal arterial EPA concentrations and repressed increases in blood pressure with advancing age in both aged rats with and without hypercholesterolemia. In addition, noradrenaline (1 micromol/l) evoked a significantly greater release of purines from the caudal arteries of EPA-administered aged rats compared to both sets of control rats. Regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between the total amount of purines released from the artery and blood pressure. These results suggest that administration of EPA to aged rats increases the release of ATP from the vascular endothelial cells, leading to repression of the blood pressure rise seen with advancing age.