Eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester supplementation in cachectic cancer patients and healthy subjects: effects on lipolysis and lipid oxidation.
OBJECTIVE
Recent reports suggest that weight loss in cachectic cancer patients may be inhibited by supplementation of the n-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3; EPA), presumably due to inhibition of lipolysis. The aim of the present double-blind, randomized trial was to assess whether short-term oral EPA ethyl ester (EE) supplementation inhibits lipolysis and lipid oxidation in weight-losing cancer patients and in healthy subjects.


METHODS
Seventeen weight-losing, cancer patients of different tumor types, and 16 healthy subjects were randomized to receive EPA-EE (6 g/d) or placebo (oleic acid (OA)-EE; 6 g/d) for seven days. At baseline (day 0) and during supplementation (days 2 and 7) whole-body lipolysis and palmitic acid release were measured in the overnight fasting state using [1, 1, 2, 3, 3-(2)H(5)]glycerol and [1-(13)C]palmitic acid. Palmitate oxidation was determined by measuring(13)CO(2)enrichment in expired breath.


RESULTS
No significant effects of EPA-EE on whole-body lipolysis, palmitic acid release, or palmitate oxidation were detected in cancer patients nor in healthy subjects in comparison with OA-EE. EPA-EE supplementation reduced plasma-free fatty acid and triacylglycerol concentrations significantly in healthy subjects but not in cancer patients.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that supplementation of EPA-EE does not significantly inhibit lipolysis or lipid oxidation in weight-losing cancer patients or in healthy subjects during short-term supplementation when using OA-EE as a placebo supplement.
Zuijdgeest-Van Leeuwen
S D
SD
Institute of Internal Medicine II, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Dagnelie
P C
PC
Wattimena
J L
JL
Van den Berg
J W
JW
Van der Gaast
A
A
Swart
G R
GR
Wilson
J H
JH
D000368:Aged; D002100:Cachexia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008066:Lipolysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss
D019301:Oleic Acid; D019308:Palmitic Acid; C035276:eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid