Effects of Omegaven®, EPA, DHA and oxaliplatin on oesophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines growth, cytokine and cell signal biomarkers expression

Effects of Omegaven®, EPA, DHA and oxaliplatin on oesophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines growth, cytokine and cell signal biomarkers expression

Lipids in Health and Disease, January 2018

29378575

Amar M. Eltweri, Lynne M. Howells, Anne L. Thomas, Ashley R. Dennison, David J. Bowrey

There is limited evidence assessing the effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on oesophageal adenocarcinoma, both in vitro and in vivo. We evaluated the effects of the omega-3 PUFA and oxaliplatin on OE33 and OE19 cells. The two oesophageal cells were treated with Omegaven® (fish oil emulsion), EPA, DHA and oxaliplatin and incubated for up to 144 h. The following inhibitory effects were observed on OE33 cells: EPA reduced cell growth by 39% (p = 0.001), DHA by 59% (p < 0.000) and Oxaliplatin by 77% (p < 0.000). For OE19 cells, the EPA reduced growth by 1% (p = 0.992), DHA by 26% (p = 0.019) and oxaliplatin by 76% (p < 0.000). For both cells, Omegaven® resulted in reduced cell growth at intermediate concentrations (20-40 μM) and increased cell growth at low (10 μM) and high (50 μM) concentrations. DHA, Omegaven® and oxaliplatin were associated with significant downregulation of VEGF and p53 protein, and upregulation of p21 protein. DHA, Omegaven® and Oxaliplatin also led to significant downregulation of the total ERK1/2 and Akt proteins. DHA, Omegaven® and oxaliplatin were associated with downregulation of p53 and VEGF in both cells. Of the PUFAs studied, DHA alone or in combination (Omegaven®) had greater in vitro anti-cancer effects than EPA alone.