Papers In Press, published online ahead of print February 10, 2008
J. Biol. Chem, 10.1074/jbc.M800122200
Submitted on January 7, 2008
Revised on February 4, 2008
Accepted on February 10, 2008
Formation of highly reactive cyclopentenone isoprostane compounds (A3/J3-isoprostanes) in vivo from eicosapentaenoic acid
Joshua D. Brooks, Ginger L. Milne, Huiyong Yin, Stephanie C. Sanchez, Ned A. Porter, and Jason D. Morrow
Clinical Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232-6602
Corresponding Author: jason.morrow{at}vanderbilt.edu
Omega-3 (w-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) found in marine fish oils are known to suppress inflammation associated with a wide variety of diseases. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is one of the most abundant -3 fatty acids in fish oil, but the mechanism(s) by which EPA exerts its beneficial effects is unknown. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated that oxidized EPA, rather than native EPA, possesses anti-atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative effects. Very few studies to date have investigated which EPA oxidation products are responsible for this bioactivity. Our research group has previously reported that anti-inflammatory prostaglandin A2-like and prostaglandin J2-like compounds, termed A2/J2-isoprostanes (IsoPs), are produced in vivo by the free radical-catalyzed peroxidation of arachidonic acid, and represent one of the major products resulting from the oxidation of this PUFA. Based on these observations, we questioned whether cyclopentenone-IsoP compounds are formed from the oxidation of EPA in vivo. Herein, we report the formation of cyclopentenone-IsoP molecules, termed A3/J3-IsoPs, formed in abundance in vitro and in vivo from EPA peroxidation. Chemical approaches coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) were used to structurally characterize these compounds as A3/J3-IsoPs. We found that levels of these molecules increase approximately 200-fold with oxidation of EPA in vitro from a basal level of 0.8 ± 0.4 ng/mg EPA to 196 ± 23 ng/mg EPA after 36 hours. We also detected these compounds in significant amounts in fresh liver tissue from EPA-fed rats at basal levels of 19 ± 2 ng/g tissue. Amounts increased to 102 ± 15 ng/g tissue in vivo in settings of oxidative stress. These studies have, for the first time, definitively characterized novel, highly reactive A/J-ring IsoP compounds that form in abundance from the oxidation of EPA in vivo.