Polyunsaturated fatty acids and cardiovascular risk: interference at the level of gene expression.

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are important structural components of the cell membrane as well as precursors of highly active lipid mediators, the eicosanoids. In addition, they have been identified as novel intracellular signaling molecules which either directly or indirectly through the modulation of other signaling pathways activate transcription factors and gene expression. With regard to cardiovascular risk and diseases, effects of PUFA have been observed on genes whose products regulate either metabolic processes, especially fatty acid metabolism, or are involved in inflammatory and mitogenic processes of vascular cells. Often, the effects of n-3 and n-6 PUFA on the expression of both types of genes are antagonistic indicating a balancing role of n-3 and n-6 PUFA in cell metabolism and function already at the level of gene expression.