title: Fish oil attenuates surgery-induced immunosuppression, limits post-operative metastatic dissemination and increases long-term recurrence-free survival in rodents inoculated with cancer cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3FA) attenuate postoperative immunosuppression vis-à-vis infection. Since immune-surveillance targets metastasizing cancer cells, we assessed the effect of ω-3FA consumption on 1) early post-operative Natural Killer cell (NK) cytotoxicity and metastases and 2) long-term recurrence-free survival, in two rodent models of surgery-promoted metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  C57BL/6J mice were fed standard, ω-3FA-enriched, or ω-6FA-enriched chow, beginning one week before subcutaneous footpad implantation of syngeneic melanoma cells. When tumors reached the volume of 110 μl, the tumor-bearing footpad was amputated, and long-term recurrence-free survival was assessed. Also, F344 rats were fed ω-3FA or ω-6FA for a month before undergoing or not undergoing laparotomy, and were intravenously inoculated with radio-labeled syngeneic adenocarcinoma cells. Marginating-pulmonary (MP)-leukocytes were harvested, and lung tumor retention (LTR) of metastases was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ω-3FA consumption did not affect the growth of footpad tumors, but significantly enhanced post-amputation recurrence-free survival in mice. Surgery had a deleterious effect on NK cell activity and LTR whereas ω-3FA had large beneficial effects in non-operated rats and an even greater impact in operated rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ω-3FA feeding attenuates or even overcomes postoperative NK cell suppression, increases resistance to experimental and spontaneous metastasis, and enhances recurrence-free survival following excision of metastasizing primary tumors. These findings warrant clinical studies of ω-3FA-based nutrition in patients undergoing resection of a primary tumor.
authors: Neuroimmunology Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors: Yael
authors: Y
authors: Goldfarb
authors: Haim
authors: H
authors: Shapiro
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Singer
authors: Yael
authors: Y
authors: Kalderon
authors: Ben
authors: B
authors: Levi
authors: Ariella
authors: A
authors: Glasner
authors: Marganit
authors: M
authors: Benish
authors: Shamgar
authors: S
authors: Ben-Eliyahu
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D000818:Animals; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007157:Immunologic Surveillance; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009366:Neoplasm Seeding; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000601:surgery; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils