Abstract

Author(s): Damasco Avila, Erika1; Ventura Gallegos, José Luis2; Guevara Cruz, Martha3; Zentella Dehesa, Alejandro2,4

Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide according to the WHO. Strong evidence suggests that food and nutrition are important in modification of cancer process. There is increased evidence that specific dietary patterns or constituents such as n-3 PUFAs, may be associated with reduced risk of BC. Female athymic nude mice were fed since weaning to adulthood with a DHA+EPA (4%w/w) diet or with standard diet during 14-week. At week7, tumor cell implantation with MDA-MB-231cell line took place, each mice received 5x106 tumor cells. When tumors became palpable, maximum length, width, and diameters were measured twice a week. Incidence of tumor development was observed in all mice (n=4, 100%) in the control diet group; instead, the n-3 PUFAs diet group, only two mice developed tumor (n=2, 50%), and the development time was longer compared to the control group. These differences were significant (p < 0.001). This study establish the potential effect as a preventive measure to BC. This evidence is consentient with epidemiological data about high n-3 PUFAs diet patterns in some populations may lower risk of BC, highlighting the importance of these components in our diet since childhood to promote the preventive effect. Being thus necessary, setting up recommendations for n-3 PUFAs supplementation from fish oil or, for a minimal dietary fatty fish intake/week, in order to attempt modulate carcinogenesis in populations at high risk, particularly those with a high prevalence of obesity