title: The role of dietary long-chain n-3 fatty acids in anti-cancer immune defense and R3230AC mammary tumor growth in rats: influence of diet fat composition.
abstract: We determined if long-chain n-3 fatty acids fed as part of a: (1) high polyunsaturated fat diet (currently recommended by several health agencies) or (2) low polyunsaturated fat diet (representative of that consumed by a large segment of the North American population) improved antitumor immune defense and inhibited tumor growth. Rats were fed one of four semi-purified diets (20% w/w fat) for 21 days pre- and 17 days post- R3230AC mammary tumor implantation. The polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid (P/S) ratio was either 1 (high P/S diet) or 0.35 (low P/S diet). At each P/S ratio, diets provided long-chain n-3 fatty acids at 0 or 5% w/w of total fat. Long-chain n-3 fatty acids fed in a high P/S diet did not affect tumor growth or host immune responses. In contrast, feeding long-chain n-3 fatty acids in a low P/S diet increased natural killer cell cytotoxicity, splenocyte nitric oxide and interleukin-2 production, and the proportion of activated (CD25+) CD8+ and CD28+ cells, but did not significantly inhibit tumor growth. For both P/S diets, tumor cells from rats fed long-chain n-3 fatty acids had a higher n-3 content and n-3/n-6 ratio in phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol. Furthermore, the magnitude of increase in n-3 fatty acid incorporation into tumor phospholipids was greater when fed in a low P/S diet. We demonstrated that the dietary P/S ratio significantly influences the effect of long-chain n-3 fatty acids on host immune responses and n-3 fatty acid incorporation into tumor cells. These findings warrant further consideration when designing dietary recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Lindsay E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: M Thomas
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Clandinin
authors.forename: Catherine J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D009569:Nitric Oxide