title: Effect of essential fatty acids on tumor cells.
abstract: An earlier study showed that essential fatty acids and their metabolites can kill tumor cells in vitro. This tumoricidal action can be correlated to an increase in generation of free radicals in the tumor cells. Evening primrose oil (EPO) is a rich source of linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid. We report that EPO can kill tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. This tumoricidal action of EPO was associated with a threefold increase in superoxide generation. One of the factors that is capable of interfering with the cytotoxic action of fatty acids appears to be the protein content of the medium. Fatty acids can bind to protein and thus prevent their cytotoxic action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Punjagutta, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramesh
authors.forename: U N
authors.initials: UN
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koratkar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Padma
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sagar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001201:Ascites; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008042:Linolenic Acids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D031665:Oenothera biennis; D010938:Plant Oils; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000378:metabolism; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D008042:Linolenic Acids; D010938:Plant Oils; D013481:Superoxides; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; C028498:evening primrose oil; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid