[Effect of supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester, MND-21, on generation of leukotrienes by calcium ionophore-activated leukocytes in bronchial asthma].

The effects of dietary supplementation with highly purified eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester (EPA-E) (MND-21) on asthma symptoms, fatty acids in serum, and generation of leukotriene (LT) C4, LTC5, LTB4 and LTB5 by leukocytes stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187 were studied in 10 patients with bronchial asthma. The patients received nine capsules of MND-21 (2.7 g EPA-E) each day for 12 weeks. Leukocytes obtained from 39 patients with asthma who did not receive EPA-E were used as the control. Fatty acid composition was evaluated by gas chromatography and LT generation was measured by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. EPA-E increased EPA content more than threefold, without changing the quantities of arachidonic acid in serum lipids. Leukocytes obtained from patients given EPA-E for 4 weeks generated less LTC4 (53.5 +/- 23.3 ng/10(7) cells) and LTB4 (24.9 +/- 12.4 ng/10(7) cells) than did those from control patients (142.4 +/- 91.6 ng/10(7) cells and 58.3 +/- 34.8 ng/10(7) cells, respectively). Although significant levels of LTC5 and LTB5 were present after 4 weeks of EPA-E (6.5 +/- 1.9 ng/10(7) cells and 4.6 +/- 2.7 ng/10(7) cells, respectively), generation of total LTC (LTC4 + LTC5) and total LTB (LTB4 + LTB5) were substantially suppressed. Symptoms had improved after two months of EPA-E, but the effect was temporary. We conclude that in patients with asthma, treatment with EPA-E may attenuate leukocyte function without distinctly changing the severity of asthma.