EPA's role in diabetic heart healthEicosapentaenoic acid induces macrophage Mox polarization to prevent diabetic cardiomyopathy.
We explored the impact of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a nutrient known for its heart benefits, on diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC), a condition leading to heart failure. Our study focused on diabetic mice and revealed that EPA plays a protective role against DC, particularly by reducing harmful M1-polarized macrophages in the heart.
In our experiments, we found that EPA not only reduces cardiomyocyte injury caused by M1-polarized macrophages but also encourages a shift in macrophages' behavior from M1 to a protective Mox state—not M2. This shift is crucial because Mox macrophages help mitigate the damage inflicted by their M1 counterparts.
We identified heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) as a key player in maintaining the Mox phenotype. EPA promotes HO-1, which helps curb macrophage M1 polarization and the resulting cardiomyocyte injury. Interestingly, our findings also showed that EPA fosters this protective Mox polarization in monocyte-derived macrophages from diabetic patients, suggesting a broader application for this treatment strategy.
Overall, our study highlights the potential of EPA as a novel approach to combat diabetic cardiomyopathy, emphasizing the importance of macrophage Mox polarization in maintaining heart health in diabetes.
Supports cardiovascular health
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