Fish Oil Enhances T Cell Function and Tumor Infiltration and Is Correlated With a Cancer Prevention Effect in HER-2/neu But Not PyMT Transgenic Mice

• Published in: Nutrition and cancer Vol. 67; no. 6; pp. 965 - 975
• Main Authors: Turbitt, William J, Black, Adam J, Collins, Shawntawnee D, Meng, Huicui, Xu, Haifang, Washington, Sharlene, Aliaga, Cesar, El-Bayoumy, Karam, Manni, Andrea, Rogers, Connie J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Routledge 18.08.2015; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: animal models; Animals; carcinogenesis; Carcinogens; Cell Line, Tumor; Cells; corn oil; Corn Oil - pharmacology; Cytokines; Diet; Disease Models, Animal; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - pharmacology; Female; Fish oils; Fish Oils - pharmacology; interferon-gamma; Interferon-gamma - metabolism; interleukin-2; Interleukin-2 - metabolism; menhaden; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; neoplasms; Neoplasms - prevention & control; nutritional intervention; omega-3 fatty acids; polyunsaturated fatty acids; Rodents; T-lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; transgenic animals; Tumors
• ISSN: 1532-7914; 0163-5581; 1532-7914
• DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2015.1060351

Few studies have explored the effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation on immune modulation in murine models of mammary carcinogenesis. HER-2/neu and PyMT mice were randomized to 2 dietary interventions: AIN-93G-based diet with 1) 11% of diet (per gram weight) as corn oil (CO) or 2) 10% of diet as menhaden fish oil plus 1% of diet as corn oil (FO). FO significantly reduced the incidence and multiplicity of tumors (P < 0.001) in HER-2/neu, but not PyMT mice. FO-fed mice had significantly larger splenocyte counts than CO-fed mice in both the HER-2/neu and PyMT models; and in both models this was comprised of an increase in most cell types, including Gr-1 ⁺/CD11b ⁺ cells. T cells from FO-fed HER-2/neu mice produced significantly more interleukin-2 (P = 0.004) and interferon-γ (P = 0.012) in response to in vitro stimulation with anti-CD3 (0.5 µg/ml). Lastly, FO-fed HER-2/neu mice had significantly more tumor immune infiltrates than CO-fed mice, including NK1.1 ⁺, F4/80 ⁺, and Gr-1 ⁺/CD11b ⁺ cells (P ≤ 0.05). Greater Th1 cytokine production and significantly more tumor immune infiltrates in FO-fed Her2/neu mice may account for the cancer prevention effect of fish oil in this model.