Effect of N-3 and N-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Growth and Progression of Prostate Cancer In Vivo
Abstract
There is a strong correlation between dietary fat and mortality attributed to prostatic cancer, but little is known about how this nutrient modifies tumor biology to enhance fatal malignancy. Arachidonic acid (AA) is an n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), which directly mediates cell signaling and is the substrate for generation of bioactive eicosanoids; AA and eicosanoids regulate cell growth and cell death in a variety of experimental settings. Substitution of n-3 PUFA (i.e. fish oil) for AA significantly reduces tissue AA content and modifies eicosanoid profiles, thereby effecting changes in cell biology. As expected, changes in dietary PUFA content significantly altered the fatty acid profile in early and late stages of prostatic cancer; surprisingly, this was not associated with changes in tumor growth. In contrast, the same dietary enrichment of tissues for n-3 PUFA significantly enhanced the beneficial response to androgen-ablation therapy and delayed conversion (progression) to androgen-independent growth (relapse) in comparison to dietary AA. If these findings hold true in subsequent studies performed in our laboratories and others, modulation of prostatic cancer biology with innocuous dietary intervention could represent a very important adjunct to prostate cancer therapy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA427436
Entities
People
- Michael F. Mcentee
Organizations
- University of Tennessee