Altered bioavailability of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids is associated with conduit artery endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: This pathophysiological study addressed the hypothesis that soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), which metabolizes the vasodilator and anti-inflammatory epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) to dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs), contributes to conduit artery endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Radial artery endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation in response to hand skin heating was reduced in essential hypertensive patients (n = 9) and type 2 diabetic subjects with (n = 19) or without hypertension (n = 10) compared to healthy subjects (n = 36), taking into consideration cardiovascular risk factors, flow stimulus and endothelium-independent dilatation to glyceryl trinitrate. Diabetic patients but not non-diabetic hypertensive subjects displayed elevated whole blood reactive oxygen species levels and loss of NO release during heating, assessed by measuring local plasma nitrite variation. Moreover, plasma levels of EET regioisomers increased during heating in healthy subjects, did not change in hypertensive patients and decreased in diabetic patients. Correlation analysis showed in the overall population that the less NO and EETs bioavailability increases during heating, the more flow-mediated dilatation is reduced. The expression and activity of sEH, measured in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, was elevated in diabetic but not hypertensive patients, leading to increased EETs conversion to DHETs. Finally, hyperglycemic and hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps induced a decrease in flow-mediated dilatation in healthy subjects and this was associated with an altered EETs release during heating. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that an increased EETs degradation by sEH and altered NO bioavailability are associated with conduit artery endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients independently from their hypertensive status. The hyperinsulinemic and hyperglycemic state in these patients may contribute to these alterations. Trial registration NCT02311075. Registered December 8, 2014.

Reduced cardiac remodelling and prevention of glutathione deficiency after omega-3 supplementation in chronic heart failure.

n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3) supplementation is associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality and post-infarction death. However, the impact of omega-3 supplementation in congestive heart failure (CHF) is still unknown. This study assesses the effects of omega-3 supplementation on left ventricular (LV) function and remodelling. We assessed, in rats with CHF induced by left coronary ligation, the effects of a 1-week and a 12-week supplementation with omega-3 (450 mg/kg per day) on LV hemodynamics, function and structure. Chronic omega-3 reduces total peripheral resistance due to an increase in cardiac output without modification of arterial pressure. Only chronic omega-3 reduces LV end-diastolic pressure and LV relaxation constant. Moreover, chronic omega-3 decreases LV systolic and diastolic diameters, LV weight and collagen density. Acute and chronic omega-3 increase LV γ-glutamyl-cysteine synthetase and oppose glutathione deficiency resulting in a reduction of myocardial oxidized glutathione. In experimental CHF, long-term omega-3 supplementation improves LV hemodynamics and function and prevents LV remodelling and glutathione deficiency. The latter might be one of the mechanisms involved, but whether other mechanism, independent of myocardial redox 'status', such as reduced inflammation, are implicated remains to be confirmed.