Effects of the diet on tumor growth in diabetic mice inoculated with cancer cells

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25560061
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Eating habits
• Research Institution: Musashino University
• Principal Investigator: KOHAMA Tomoko 武蔵野大学, 薬学研究所, 客員研究員 (00364703)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MURAKAMI Takashi 高崎健康福祉大学, 薬学部, 教授 (00326852) ; KAWAHARADA Ritsuko 高崎健康福祉大学, 健康福祉学部, 助教 (60383147) ; TAKANO-OHMURO Hiromi 武蔵野大学, 薬学研究所, 教授 (00124470) ; KOHAMA Kazuhiro 武蔵野大学, 薬学研究所, 客員教授 (30101116)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 糖尿病 / 担がん / n-3系不飽和脂肪酸 / 宿主免疫系

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent years, diabetes mellitus (DM) has been shown to be associated with a high cancer risk. We investigated whether the intake of omega-3 fatty acid may promote cancer progression in DM concomitant with cancer-bearing conditions. DM-induced BALB/c mice were generated by the injection of STZ, and then they were inoculated subcutaneously with 5x104 Colon26 tumor cells (CT26DM mice). CT26DM mice were daily treated with ethyl icosapentate as omega-3 fatty acid (100 mg/body). The oral administration of EPA in those mice suppressed the tumor size but the number of immune cells (T, B and NK cells) in the spleen showed no difference compared to non-inoculated DM mice. Interestingly, the activity of NK cells significantly decreased in the spleens of CT26DM mice. It is necessary to consider that these patients be handled as immune compromised hosts due to their possibly lowered NK cell activity.

Free Research Field

糖尿病