Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on vascular smooth muscle cells: reduction in arachidonic acid incorporation into inositol phospholipids.

A rapid increase in arachidonic acid incorporation into phosphatidylinositol (PI) occurred following exposure of cultured porcine pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells to calcium ionophore A23187. This response was specific for PI and phosphatidic acid; none of the other phosphoglycerides showed any increase in arachidonic acid incorporation. The incorporation of [3H]inositol also was increased, indicating that complete synthesis of PI rather than only fatty acylation occurred in response to the ionophore. The presence of omega-3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), reduced arachidonic acid but not inositol incorporation into PI. Stimulated incorporation of EPA also occurred under these conditions, suggesting that EPA replaces arachidonic acid in the newly synthesized pool of PI. Although much less arachidonic acid was incorporated into the polyphosphoinositides following exposure to the ionophore, arachidonic acid incorporation into these phosphorylated derivatives also decreased when EPA was present. These findings suggest that when omega-3 fatty acids are available, less arachidonic acid is channeled into the inositol phospholipids of activated smooth muscle cells because of replacement by EPA. This may represent a mechanism whereby omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA, can accumulate in the metabolically active pools of inositol phospholipids and thereby possibly influence the properties or responsiveness of vascular smooth muscle.