Effects of Fatty Acids on Brain Tumors in Rats
Author Information
Author(s): Nasrollahzadeh Javad, Siassi Fereydoun, Doosti Mahmood, Eshraghian Mohammad Reza, Shokri Fazel, Modarressi Mohammad Hossein, Mohammadi-Asl Javad, Abdi Khosro, Nikmanesh Arash, Karimian Seyed Morteza
Primary Institution: Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Hypothesis
The study investigates how feeding oils rich in linoleic, gamma-linolenic, and docosahexaenoic acids affects the fatty acid composition of brain tumors in rats.
Conclusion
Dietary supplementation of DHA containing oil could effectively increase levels of long chain n-3 fatty acids in brain tumors, partly through up-regulation of FABP7 expression.
Supporting Evidence
- DHAO feeding increased EPA levels in brain tumors and decreased the n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio.
- Gene expression of FABP7 was up-regulated in tumors of the DHAO group.
- GLAO increased serum concentration of GLA but had no significant effect on tumor GLA levels.
Takeaway
Feeding rats oils with certain fatty acids can change the types of fats found in their brain tumors, which might help fight cancer.
Methodology
Adult Wistar rats were fed GLA oil, DHA oil, or safflower oil before and after tumor implantation, and fatty acid composition and gene expression were analyzed.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the small number of animals in each group and the short duration of the study.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and short duration, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Female virgin random-bred Wistar rats, weighing 200 to 240 g.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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