P-202: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) prevents vascular endothelial cell death induced by high glucose

Hyperglycemia is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have suggested that the daily intake of large amounts of marine oils rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (including EPA) decreases the incidence of cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease. However, the mechanism by which EPA exerts this cardioprotective effect has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cellular mechanism by which EPA protects human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) from hyperglycemia-induced cell death. HCAEC (provided by Cell Systems, Kirkland, WA) were cultured in CSC medium. Cell number was estimated by assessing the rate of [3H]-Thymidine uptake. Cell death was assessed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme activity and caspase-3 activity assays. When HCAEC were exposed to high glucose (33mM) for 96 hr, the number of HCAEC as measured by [3H]-Thymidine uptake was decreased to 75.6±7.4% (P