Fish oil may impede tumour angiogenesis and invasiveness by down-regulating protein kinase C and modulating eicosanoid production.
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-metastatic 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.
McCarty
M F
MF
Nutrition 21, San Diego, CA 92109, USA.
D000818:Animals; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015777:Eicosanoids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D016859:Lipoxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
D015777:Eicosanoids; D005395:Fish Oils; D016859:Lipoxygenase Inhibitors; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid; D011493:Protein Kinase C