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Fish Oil Supplementation Reduces Cachexia and Tumor Growth While Improving Renal Function in Tumor-Bearing Rats

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Lipids

Abstract

The objective of the present work was to study the renal function of healthy and tumor-bearing rats chronically supplemented with fish oil (FO), a source of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Weanling male rats were divided in two groups, one control (C) and another orally supplemented for 70 days with FO (1 g/kg body weight). After this time, half the animals of each group were injected in the right flank with a suspension of Walker 256 tumor cells (W and WFO). The W group had less proteinemia reflecting cachectic proteolysis, FO reversed this fact. Tumor weight gain was also reduced in WFO. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was not different in FO or W compared to C, but was higher in WFO. Renal plasma flow (RPF) was higher in the FO supplemented groups. The W group had lower plasma osmolality than the C group, but FO supplementation resulted in normalization of this parameter. Fractional sodium excretion (FENa+) of FO rats was similar to C. Proximal Na+ reabsorption, evaluated by lithium clearance, was similar among the groups. Urinary thromboxane B2 (TXB2) excretion was lower in the supplemented groups. The number of macrophages in renal tissue was higher in W compared to C rats, but was lower in WFO rats compared to W rats. In conclusion, FO supplementation resulted in less tumor growth and cachexia, and appeared to be renoprotective, as suggested by higher RPF and GFR.

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Abbreviations

FO:

Fish oil

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acid(s)

EPA:

Eicosapentaenoic acid

DHA:

Docosahexaenoic acid

ARA:

Arachidonic acid

PG:

Prostaglandins

TX:

Thromboxanes

AVP:

Arginine-vasopressin hormone

C:

Control rats

W:

Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats

WFO:

Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats supplemented with fish oil

PAH:

p-Aminohippuric acid

RBF:

Renal plasma flow

GFR:

Glomerular filtration rate

FENa+ :

Fractional sodium excretion

C Li+ :

Lithium clearance

PFRNa+ :

Proximal fractional reabsorption of Na+

PPFRNa+ :

Post-proximal fractional excretion of Na+

DDNa+ :

Na+ distal delivery

MCP-1:

Chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein 1

TAG:

Serum triacylglycerol

COX:

Cyclooxygenase

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Acknowledgments

Authors thank Dr. Carolina A. Freire for the osmolality readings and useful suggestions. Research supported by Fundação Araucária, Paraná, Brasil. Luiz C. Fernandes and Terezila M. Coimbra were supported by grants of the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas (CNPq), Brasil.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Fisiologia, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) Centro Politécnico s/n.–Jd. das Américas, Post Box 19031, Curitiba, PR, 81531-990, Brazil

    Isabela Coelho, Fernando Casare, Danielle C. T. Pequito, Gina Borghetti, Ricardo K. Yamazaki, Gleisson A. P. Brito, Marcelo Kryczyk, Luiz Claudio Fernandes & Ricardo Fernandez

  2. Departamento de Fisiologia–Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Terezila M. Coimbra

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  1. Isabela Coelho
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Correspondence to Ricardo Fernandez.

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Coelho, I., Casare, F., Pequito, D.C.T. et al. Fish Oil Supplementation Reduces Cachexia and Tumor Growth While Improving Renal Function in Tumor-Bearing Rats. Lipids 47, 1031–1041 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-012-3715-9

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