title: The cell cycle effects of docosahexaenoic acid on human metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation.
abstract: Given the reported side effects associated with chemotherapy and surgical resection, dietary intervention with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been postulated to be an alterative way to prevent liver cancer progression and metastasis. We studied the effects of an omega-3 PUFA, docahexaenoic acid (DHA) on COX-2 expression and the cell cycle control machinery that co-ordinately regulate the HCC cells growth. Our data showed that DHA (0-200 microM) retarded proliferation of the human metastatic HCC cell line MHCC97L dose-dependently. In addition, inhibition of cyclin A/Cdk2 interfered with S-phase progression further in agreement with the result of bivariate flow cytometric analysis which indicated that DNA synthesis time (Ts) was significantly prolonged by DHA in MHCC97L. The N-myc oncogene, the heat shock proteins Hsp27 and glucose-related protein 78 (GRP78) as well as the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase may play significant roles in the cell cycle control and reduced-proliferation of MHCC97L by DHA. Our data indicated that it is imperative to develop therapeutic strategy with omega-3 PUFA that simultaneously targets COX-2 and other cell cycle regulators in hepatocarcinogenesis. This study provides novel mechanistic insights into the modulation of DHA on human hepatocarcinoma.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Carol Yee-Ki
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Wai-Hung
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Sit
authors.forename: Sheung-Tat
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Kwan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Man
authors.forename: Irene Wing-Yan
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Jor
authors.forename: Leo Lap-Yan
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Murphy Lam-Yim
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Kian Cheng
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Tan-Un
authors.forename: Jennifer Man-Fan
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wan
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D019925:Cyclin A / Q000378:metabolism; D019927:Cyclin E / Q000378:metabolism; D051357:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019925:Cyclin A; D019927:Cyclin E; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; C000717247:HSPA5 protein, human; C057725:HSPB1 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; C495894:CDK2 protein, human; D051357:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2