title: Anti-cancer activities of ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
abstract: The ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are two major families of PUFAs present as essential cellular components which possess diverse bioactivities. The ω-3s, mainly found in seafood, are associated with many beneficial effects on human health, while the ω-6s are more abundant in our daily diet and could be implicated in many pathological processes including cancer development. Increasing evidence suggests that the adverse effects of ω-6s may be largely attributed to arachidonic acid (AA, a downstream ω-6) and the metabolite prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) that stems from its cyclooxygenase (COX)-catalyzed lipid peroxidation. On the other hand, two of AA's upstream ω-6s, γ-linolenic acid (GLA) and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA), are shown to possess certain anti-cancer activities, including inducing cell apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation. In this paper, we review the documented anti-cancer activities of ω-6 PUFAs, including the recent findings regarding the anti-cancer effects of free radical-mediated DGLA peroxidation. The possible mechanisms and applications of DGLA (and other ω-6s) in inducing anti-cancer activity are also discussed. Considering the wide availability of ω-6s in our daily diet, the study of the potential beneficial effect of ω-6 PUFAs may guide us to develop an ω-6-based diet care strategy for cancer prevention and treatment.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA.
authors.forename: Steven Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005609:Free Radicals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases