Fish Oil Attenuates Surgery-induced Immunosuppression,
Limits Post-operative Metastatic Dissemination and
Increases Long-term Recurrence-free Survival
in Rodents Inoculated with Cancer Cells

This section is compiled by Frank M. Painter, D.C.
Send all comments or additions to:    Frankp@chiro.org

FROM:   Clin Nutr. 2012 (Jun);   31 (3):   396–404

Goldfarb Y, Shapiro H, Singer P, Kalderon Y, Levi B, Glasner A, Benish M, Ben-Eliyahu S.

Neuroimmunology Research Unit,
Department of Psychology,
Tel-Aviv University,
Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.

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Background & aims   Omega-3 fatty acids attenuate postoperative immunosuppression vis-à-vis infection. Since immune-surveillance targets metastasizing cancer cells, we assessed the effect of Omega-3 fatty acid 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, Omega-3-enriched, or Omega-6-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 Omega-3 fatty acid or Omega-6 fatty acid 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   Omega-3 fatty acid 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 Omega-3 fatty acid had large beneficial effects in non-operated rats and an even greater impact in operated rats.

Conclusions   Omega-3 fatty acid 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 Omega-3 fatty acid-based nutrition in patients undergoing resection of a primary tumor.

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