Abstract
Dietary supplementation with ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been reported to enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells towards chemotherapy. Most enhancing effects are described for ω-3 PUFAs EPA and DHA; less evidence is available with the intermediate DPA. We studied the chemotherapy enhancing effects of EPA, DPA and DHA in murine colon C26 adenocarcinoma cells and showed that DPA displayed similar chemosensitizing effects as EPA. Moreover, EPA supplementation increased cellular DPA content. In a C26 tumor-bearing mouse model, we studied the incorporation of ω-3 PUFA in tumor and skeletal muscle after a diet with different ω-3 PUFA sources. Although little DPA was present in the fatty acid food sources, in those that contained considerable EPA concentrations, DPA levels were higher in tumor and muscle tissue. From these studies, we conclude that EPA and DPA show chemosensitizing effects and that intake of EPA or EPA-containing nutrition leads to increased cellular DPA content by elongation. These findings support the use of ω-3 PUFA containing nutritional supplementations in cancer patients during chemotherapy treatment.
Highlights
Cancer, a major disease worldwide, is often accompanied by malnutrition and the involuntary loss of muscle and fat mass that cannot be restored with normal food intake [1, 2]
We investigated the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) on cell viability and caspase 3/7 activity in murine colon adenocarcinoma (C26) cells treated with the chemotherapeutics doxorubicin and cisplatin
A significant decrease in cell viability was measured after DPA treatment (P = 0.007), while EPA and DHA had no effect on cell viability
Summary
A major disease worldwide, is often accompanied by malnutrition and the involuntary loss of muscle and fat mass that cannot be restored with normal food intake (i.e. cachexia) [1, 2]. Specialized nutritional care might improve clinical outcomes and nutritional status of cancer patients by protecting normal cells and enhancing the efficacy of treatment [1, 3,4,5]. One of the recommendations in the ESPEN guidelines is the use of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) or fish oil, for patients with advanced cancer undergoing chemotherapy and at risk of weight loss or malnutrition. Clinical studies showed lower systemic inflammation and improvements in appetite, energy intake, body weight and lean body mass which resulted in an improved quality of life with (fish oil-derived) ω-3 PUFA supplementation [4, 6,7,8]. Further research is required to determine the exact mechanisms behind the effects of ω-3 PUFAs
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