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Research: TAKADA and COLLEAGUES,
Listed in Issue 217
Abstract
TAKADA and COLLEAGUES, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine studied the antiplatelet effect of EPA combined with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) following stent implantation.
Background
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) has been widely accepted to have antiatherosclerotic effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the antiplatelet effect of EPA combined with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) following stent implantation.
Methodology
Eighteen patients who had undergone coronary stent implantation at least 8 months previously were included. All patients were given EPA ethyl ester (EPA-E) 1.8 g/day in addition to ASA 100 mg/day for 12 weeks.
Results
After the treatment, the plasma EPA/arachidonic acid (AA) ratio increased significantly from 0.40 ± 0.2 to 1.08 ± 0.39 (P < 0.001). There were no changes in the maximum platelet aggregation (MPA) induced by adenosine diphosphate (5 and 20 µmol/L), AA (0.3 and 0.5 mg/mL), or collagen (2 and 4 µg/mL). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in the expression of PAC-1 and CD62P on the platelet surface membranes or in the soluble P-selectin concentration. With further analysis, a significant negative correlation was found between collagen (2 µg/mL)-induced MPA and plasma EPA/AA ratio (r = -0.507, P = 0.032). The patients were then divided into 2 groups according to the median EPA/AA ratio value of 0.92. In the high EPA/AA ratio group (n = 10), collagen-induced MPA was significantly suppressed after EPA-E administration (45.3 ± 15.9 versus 39.0 ± 16.3, P = 0.033). In contrast, there were no significant changes in platelet aggregation (56.0 ± 9.8 versus 57.1 ± 11.4, P = 0.745) in the low EPA/AA ratio group (n = 8).
Conclusion
EPA treatment had a potential to suppress collagen-induced platelet aggregation in patients with a high plasma EPA/AA ratio.
References
Takada K, Ishikawa S, Yokoyama N, Hosogoe N and Isshiki T. Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on platelet function in patients taking long-term aspirin following coronary stent implantation. Int Heart J. 2014;55(3):228-33. Epub 2014 May 7 2014.