title: Omega-3 N-acylethanolamines are endogenously synthesised from omega-3 fatty acids in different human prostate and breast cancer cell lines.
abstract: Omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids inhibit breast and prostate cancer cell growth. We previously showed that N-acylethanolamine derivatives of n-3 (n-3-NAE) are endocannabinoids, which regulate cancer cell proliferation. These n-3-NAE are synthesised in certain cells/tissues, after supplementing with fatty acids, however, no one has assessed whether and to what extent this occurs in cancer cells. We determined levels of endogenous n-3-NAEs in hormone sensitive and insensitive prostate and breast cancer cells and subsequent effects on other endocannabinoids (anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol), before and after supplementing with DHA and EPA fatty acids, using HPLC tandem mass spectrometry. This is the first study reporting that n-3-NAEs are synthesised from their parent n-3 fatty acids in cancer cells, regardless of tumour type, hormone status or the presence of fatty acid amide hydrolase. This could have important implications for the use of n-3 fatty acids as therapeutic agents in breast and prostate cancers expressing cannabinoid receptors.
authors: Translational Medical Sciences, Division of Applied Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK. i.brown@abdn.ac.uk
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Brown
authors: K W J
authors: KW
authors: Wahle
authors: M G
authors: MG
authors: Cascio
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Smoum-Jaouni
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Mechoulam
authors: R G
authors: RG
authors: Pertwee
authors: S D
authors: SD
authors: Heys
mesh_terms: D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases
chemical_list: D000581:Amidohydrolases; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D004983:Ethanolamines; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases; C022203:N-acylethanolamines