June 29, 2022
Keio University School of Medicine
A research group from the Division of Cardiology, Keio University School of Medicine, led by Joint Researcher Hidenori Moriyama (Assistant Professor at the Division at the time of the research) and Senior Lecturer Jin Endo, has revealed that a metabolite of "omega-3 fatty acids" found in fish oil (epoxidized omega-3 fatty acids), which are known to be beneficial for the heart and blood vessels, is produced in mast cells, a type of inflammatory cell, and suppresses abnormal fibrosis of pulmonary blood vessels. Furthermore, through animal experiments and patient genomic information, they have revealed that PAF-AH2, the enzyme that produces these epoxidized omega-3 fatty acids, is deeply associated with the intractable disease pulmonary hypertension, and have shown that the supplemental administration of this lipid could be a therapeutic measure to improve pulmonary hypertension.
Pulmonary hypertension is an intractable disease that causes right heart failure due to pulmonary artery stenosis of unknown cause, and it is a condition for which there are still few effective treatments. The results of this research will not only elucidate a new pathological mechanism but also lead to the creation of new therapies that approach the root of the disease. In the future, it is also expected to be applied to precision medicine based on genetic information.
These findings were published in the online edition of Nature Communications on May 31, 2022 (UK time).
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