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Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2P5
2To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Catherine.field{at}ualberta.ca
Because anticancer immunity declines progressively with tumor growth, a
major focus of current research in tumor immunology is the development
of means to stimulate the host immune system. This study determined the
effects of dietary long-chain (n-3) fatty acids and tumor burden on
immune cell phospholipid composition and membrane-mediated immune
defense in rats implanted with the R3230AC mammary adenocarcinoma.
Fischer 344 rats (145 ± 2 g) were fed one of two
semipurified diets (20 g/100 g fat) for 21 d before and 17 d
after tumor implantation. Diets provided long-chain (n-3) fatty
acids at 0 or 50 g/kg of total fat. Mammary tumor growth was 31% lower
(P = 0.1) in rats fed long-chain (n-3) fatty
acids. Dietary long-chain (n-3) fatty acids had beneficial effects
on several host immune defenses, including activation of
CD8+ T cells and type-1 cytokine (interferon-
and tumor
necrosis factor-
) production (P < 0.05).
Upregulated immune function in tumor-bearing rats fed the high
(n-3) diet occurred concurrently with specific changes in the major
membrane phospholipids phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine
in high (n-3)-fed rats. Because membrane composition plays a critical
role in immune function, additional work is needed to determine the
relationship between alterations in the phospholipid composition of
immune cells during cancer and subsequent upregulation of host defense
in the tumor-bearing state.
KEY WORDS: dietary (n-3) fatty acids R3230AC mammary tumor immune mitogen phospholipids rats
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