Fish oil regulates cell proliferation, protect DNA damages and decrease HER-2/neu and c-Myc protein expression in rat mammary carcinogenesis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to assess the effect of dietary fish oil (MaxEPA) on DNA-strand breaks, cell proliferation and anti-apoptotic protein expressions in rat mammary carcinogenesis.


METHODS
Eighty-one female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two parts, one for DNA-strand breaks study and the other for immunohistochemical study. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 7,12-dimethylbenz(alpha)anthracene (DMBA) (0.5 mg/0.2 ml corn oil/100 g body weight) by a tail vein injection. Rats were fed either fish oil or corn oil (0.5 ml/day/rat) by oral gavage.


RESULTS
Fish oil-treated group showed significant protection against generation of single-strand breaks (SSBs) (56.1%, P < 0.05) but increased effect (72.3%, P < 0.05) was found in the corn oil-treated group when compared to DMBA control group. Furthermore, fish oil-treated group exhibited substantial decrease in Ki-67 (P < 0.05), HER-2/neu (P < 0.05) and c-Myc (P < 0.05) immunolabelling indices when compared to carcinogen counterpart. However, corn oil treatment resulted in significant increase in the above parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
The above data support the role of n-3 PUFA as a preventive agent for DNA damages and a potential to inhibit mammary carcinogenesis.
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University 188, Raja S.C. Mallick Road, P.O. Box 17028, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India.
Sangita
S
Manna
M
M
Janarthan
Balaram
B
Ghosh
Basabi
B
Rana
Ajay
A
Rana
Malay
M
Chatterjee
D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003314:Corn Oil / Q000009:adverse effects; D053903:DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded / Q000187:drug effects; D053904:DNA Breaks, Single-Stranded / Q000187:drug effects; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004338:Drug Combinations; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; D002273:Carcinogens; D003314:Corn Oil; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D004338:Drug Combinations; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C045153:Maxepa; C483804:Erbb2 protein, rat