Docosahexaenoic acid, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha ligand, induces apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells by stimulation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase.

Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) have been shown to exert a blood pressure-lowering effect in hypertension, possibly in part by influencing vascular structure. We previously demonstrated that n-3 FAs induce vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) apoptosis, which could exert an effect on the structure of blood vessels. In the present study, we investigated signaling pathways through which n-3 FAs mediate apoptosis in VSMCs. Cultured mesenteric VSMCs from Sprague-Dawley rats were stimulated with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a representative n-3 FAs. Morphological changes in apoptosis and DNA fragmentation were examined with phase-contrast microscopy and fluorescence microscopy with Hoechst 33342 staining. To clarify possible pathways of apoptosis, we evaluated the expression of phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases, bax, bcl-2, cytochrome c, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-alpha) with Western blot analysis. DHA treatment induced cell shrinkage, cell membrane blebbing, and apoptotic bodies in VSMCs. DHA time-dependently activated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases, bax, PPAR-alpha, and cytochrome c, with maximal effects obtained after 5 and 30 minutes and 1 and 3 hours, respectively. SB-203580 and SB-202190, selective p38 inhibitors, reduced DHA-elicited apoptosis and expression of PPAR-alpha but had no effect on the expression of bax or cytochrome c. The present results indicate that DHA induces apoptosis in VSMCs through >/=2 distinct mechanisms: (1) a p38-dependent pathway that regulates PPAR-alpha and (2) a p38-independent pathway via dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c release. The death-signaling pathway stimulated by DHA may involve an integration of these multiple pathways. By triggering VSMC apoptosis, DHA may play a pathophysiological role in vascular remodeling in cardiovascular disease.