Fatty acid modulation of MCF-7 human breast cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation

Epidemiological studies suggest that dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may influence breast cancer progression and prognosis. In order to study potential mechanisms of action of fatty acid modulation of tumor growth, we studied, in vitro, the influence of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on proliferation, cell cycle, differentiation and apoptosis of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) inhibited the MCF-7 cell growth by 30% and 54%, respectively, while linoleic acid (LA) had no effect and arachidonic acid (AA) inhibited the cell growth by 30% (p < 0.05). The addition of vitamin E (10uM) to cancer cells slightly restored cell growth. The incubation of MCF-7 cells with PUFAs did not alter the cell cycle parameters or induce cell apoptosis. However, the growth inhibitory effects of EPA, DHA and AA were associated with cell differentiation as indicated by positive Oil-Red-O staining of the cells. Lipid droplet accumulation was increased by 65%, 30% and 15% in the presence of DHA, EPA and AA, respectively; (p < 0.05). These observations suggest that fatty acids may influence cellular processes at a molecular level, capable of modulating breast cancer cell growth.