Fish oil may impede tumour angiogenesis and invasiveness by down-regulating protein kinase C and modulating eicosanoid production

Abstract

Inhibition of angiogenesis shows considerable promise as a strategy for treating solid malignancies. Induction of collagenase by protein kinase C plays an important role in the angiogenic process as well as in metastasis. Lipoxygenase products are required for endothelial cell mitosis, and also promote collagenase production. By down-regulating hormonal activation of protein kinase C and modulating eicosanoid metabolism, ingestion of omega-3-rich fish oils may impede angiogenesis and reduce tumor invasiveness -thus rationalizing the growth-retardant and anti-metastasic effects of fish oil feeding almost invariably seen in animal tumour models. Certain other anti-inflammatory agents - including cromolyn (an inhibitor of protein kinase C activation) and gamma-linolenic acid (which indirectly inhibits lipoxygenase) may have analogous tumour-retardant activity. Clinical application of supplemental fish oil in cancer therapy is long overdue.