Insights into the cardioprotective properties of n-3 PUFAs against ischemic heart disease via modulation of the innate immune system.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide, which is characterized by an imbalance between cardiac oxygen supply and demand predominantly due to obstruction of coronary arteries. Activation of the innate immune system and the consequent inflammatory response plays a role in the pathogenesis of IHD. Where an excessive inflammatory response may contribute to adverse cardiac remodeling and fibrosis, making inflammation an important therapeutic target for improving outcomes of IHD. While there are many discrepancies in the literature, evidence from both bench and clinical research demonstrate important effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and/or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), toward IHD. N-3 PUFAs, and their metabolites, have been demonstrated to modulate various components of the immune system, including regulation of chemokines and cytokines, leukocyte chemotaxis and inflammasome formation. In this article, we provide an overview of the role the innate immune system has in IHD and focus on the immunomodulatory effects of n-3 PUFAs and their biologically active metabolites.