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Plasma
and neutrophil fatty acid composition in advanced cancer patients and response
to fish oil supplementation
Pratt VC, Watanabe S, Bruera E, Mackey J, Clandinin MT, Baracos VE, Field
CJ
Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of
Alberta, 410 Ag/Forestry Center, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2P5 Canada
Metabolic demand and altered supply of essential nutrients is poorly
characterised in patients with advanced cancer.
A possible imbalance or
deficiency of essential fatty acids is suggested by reported beneficial effects
of fish oil supplementation.
To assess fatty acid status (composition of plasma
and neutrophil phospholipids) in advanced cancer patients before and after 14
days of supplementation (12+/-1 g day(-1)) with fish (eicosapentaenoic acid, and
docosahexaenoic acid) or placebo (olive) oil.
Blood was drawn from cancer
patients experiencing weight loss of >5% body weight (n=23).
Fatty acid
composition of plasma phospholipids and the major phospholipid classes of
isolated neutrophils were determined using gas liquid chromatography.
At
baseline, patients with advanced cancer exhibited low levels (<30% of normal
values) of plasma phospholipids and constituent fatty acids and elevated 20 : 4
n-6 content in neutrophil phospholipids.
High n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratios in
neutrophil and plasma phospholipids were inversely related to body mass index.
Fish oil supplementation raised eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid
content in plasma but not neutrophil phospholipids. 20 : 4 n-6 content was
reduced in neutrophil PI following supplementation with fish oil.
Change in body
weight during the supplementation period related directly to increases in
eicosapentaenoic acid in plasma.
Advanced cancer patients have alterations in
lipid metabolism potentially due to nutritional status and/or chemotherapy.
Potential obstacles in fatty acid utilisation must be addressed in future trials
aiming to improve outcomes using nutritional intervention with fish oils.
Copyright 2002 Cancer Research UK
PMID: 12454764 [PubMed - in process]
Source:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12454764&dopt=Abstract
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