title: Plasma and erythrocyte uptake of omega-3 fatty acids from an intravenous fish oil based lipid emulsion in patients with advanced oesophagogastric cancer.
abstract: It has been demonstrated that short term intravenous (IV) administration of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is more effective than oral supplementation at promoting incorporation of the bioactive omega-3 PUFAs eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) into plasma, blood cells and tissues. The effect of repeated short term IV infusion of omega-3 PUFAs was investigated in patients with advanced oesophagogastric cancer during palliative chemotherapy.
  
  
  
  Patients with advanced oesophagogastric cancer (n = 21) were recruited into a phase II pilot clinical trial. All patients were scheduled for an intravenous infusion of Omegaven®(fish oil supplement containing EPA and DHA) at a rate of 2 ml/kg body weight for 4 h once a week for up to six months. Blood samples were collected to assess omega-3 PUFA uptake into plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) and into red blood cell (RBC) membranes. Fatty acid profiles were analysed by gas chromatography.
  
  
  
  Twenty patients received at least one Omegaven®treatment and were included in the analysis. Each infusion of omega-3 PUFAs resulted in increased EPA and DHA in plasma NEFAs, but there was little effect on PUFAs within plasma PC during the infusions. However, with repeated weekly infusion of omega-3 PUFAs, the EPA content of plasma PC and of RBC membranes increased.
  
  
  
  Repeated weekly omega-3 PUFA infusion is effective in enriching plasma PC and RBC membranes in EPA in patients with advanced oesophagogastric cancer receiving palliative chemotherapy.
  
  
  
  Clinical Trials.Gov NCT01870791.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester LE1 5WW, UK. Electronic address: amareltweri@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Eltweri
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Studies, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Human Development and Health Academic Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Fisk
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester LE1 5WW, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arshad
authors.affiliation: Human Development and Health Academic Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Calder
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester LE1 5WW, UK.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Dennison
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester LE1 5WW, UK.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bowrey
mesh_terms: D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069287:Capecitabine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005217:Fat Emulsions, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018401:Sample Size; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005217:Fat Emulsions, Intravenous; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D015251:Epirubicin; D000069287:Capecitabine
keywords: Fish oil; Gastric cancer; Oesophageal cancer; Omegaven; Parenteral nutrition; Polyunsaturated fatty acids