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Effects of an eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid concentrate on a human lung carcinoma grown in nude mice

1991; Wiley; Volume: 26; Issue: 11 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/bf02535969

1558-9307

M. G. de Bravo, Roberto J. de Antueno, Jonathan Toledo, María Elena De Tomás, Osvaldo Mercuri, C.J. Quintans,

Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis

Abstract The effects of the n−3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), on the growth of a human lung mucoepidermoid carcinoma (HLMC) in athymic mice were studied. The mice were divided into three groups which were given either a control chow diet (C), a chow diet supplemented with EPA/DHA (P) (25 or 50 mg of free n−3 fatty acids/g of pellet/day), or chow diet supplemented with palmitic acid (S) (isocaloric with P). Two independent experimental schedules were followed: i) host mice bearing either tumors that were allowed to reach 4000 mm 3 , or only 35 mm 3 , were fed C, P or S for 21 or 41 days; ii) animals were fed C, P and S for 9 days before tumor implant and were maintained on these diets throughout tumor growth. Food consumption, mouse weight and liver/body weight ratio showed no significant differences between supplemented diets and chow. Tumor growth was markedly inhibited (45%) in both experiments by the EPA/DHA supplemented diet. In Experiment 2, only 60% of mice fed diet P had tumors. The fatty acid composition of neutral and polar lipids of host liver and tumor reflected the dietary intake of n−3 fatty acids; the content of arachidonic acid was reduced by 50%, and EPA/DHA was increased 3‐to 5‐fold. Tumor prostaglandin E 2 levels were reduced 7.4‐fold in the P group. The reduced PGE 2 content may be a factor in tumor growth inhibition.