EPA

Eicosapentaenoic Acid

Definition

The EPA is a Long Chain Omega 3 Fatty Acid with 20 carbon atoms, direct precursor of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids with 20 atoms of carbon (PGE3 Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes LTB5, thromboxanes TXA3).

Biological Role

The administration of EPA, present in high doses in the oil of pure fish, produces two types of biological effects:

Structural
Functional

Structural effect: Improve the physical nature of the cell membrane and makes it smoother. The result is a more effective action at the level of the exchange of receptor and intracellular signals.

The EPA also replaces Arachidonic Acid in the cell membrane, thus reducing the amount of inflammatory metabolites synthesized from arachidonic acid (PGE2, TXA2, LTB4).

Functional effect: The EPA does not only inhibits the metabolism of arachidonic acid, but is able to increase the production of anti-inflammatory metabolites (PGE3, TXA3, LTB5). Recent studies have shown that EPA is able to inhibit the production of inflammatory cytokines IL-1 and TNF-Alpha.

Clinical Applications

Derivative EPA eicosanoids (PGE3, TXA3, LTB5) are important to treat any disease in which the inflammatory eicosanoids and inflammatory cytokines are involved:

PGE3 counteract the PGE2 that:

– increase the pain and edema caused by other agents such as histamine.

– promote vascular permeability and vasodilation

TXA3 counteract the action of TXA2 that:

– are powerful vasoconstrictor involved in hypertension Glomerular own failure Chronic Renal

LTB5 counteract the action of LTB4 that:

– are potent proinflammatory involved in ipercheratosis

– are responsible for skin desquamation

EPA and derivatives antagonize the action of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, TNF Alpha) involved:

– in Inflammatory postsurgical events

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EPA

Eicosapentaenoic Acid

Definition

Biological Role

Clinical Applications

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