Attenuation of mammary duct development by menhaden oil in BALB/c mice

The predominant polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-6 family found in corn oil (CO) are crucial for normal mammary duct formation when fed to animals. However, as shown here, not all polyunsaturated fatty acids are equally effective in stimulating mammary gland development. The n-3 fatty acids in a 10% menhaden oil (MO) diet fed to mice effectively reduced both the diameter and the length of the growing mammary ducts. Previously, we demonstrated a similar reduction in duct growth by feeding a 10% fat diet high in those saturated fats found in hydrogenated cotton seed oil. The inhibited rate of duct maturation caused by hydrogenated cotton seed oil was reversed when the mice were allowed to mature on a diet containing n-6 fatty acids prior to feeding the saturated fat diet. The addition of 1% CO to a 9% hydrogenated cotton seed oil diet fed to immature mice was also sufficient to restore duct growth. Mice fed menhaden oil diets, on the other hand, continued to show impaired ductal growth well into adulthood. Examination of the ovaries from MO-fed mice as compared with CO-fed mice revealed significantly fewer corpora lutea. When exogenous progesterone was given to MO-fed mice, ductal growth was partially restored, but not to the extent seen in mice fed corn oil diets. Investigation of the fatty acid contents of livers of these mice revealed reduced amounts of arachidonate (20:4) in MO-fed mice when compared with CO-fed animals. The addition of 1% CO to the 9% MO diets did not alter the arachidonate content, indicating a block in the conversion of linoleate (18:2) to 20:4 by the n-3 fatty acids. Hence, dietary n-6 fatty acids are essential for normal mammary ductal development when fed prior to maturation. Although saturated rats are ineffective, n-3 fatty acids can partially substitute for the required n-6 fatty acids in both ductal and ovarian development.