Omega-3 fatty acids suppress growth of SW620 human colon cancer xenografts in nude mice.

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of fish oil on growth of colon cancer in nude mice.Xenografts were initiated in mice receiving a standard diet or diets modified with corn or fish oil. After 3 weeks, mice were sacrificed, tumours were removed and processed for lipid analysis, histopathology and high resolution magic angle spinning magnetic resonance spectroscopy.Diet modified with fish oil suppressed tumour growth. Xenografts from mice receiving fish oil had higher levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) with concomitant reduced levels of omega-6 PUFAs. Furthermore, these xenografts had significantly lower levels of phosphocholine. Overall the results indicated less aggressive tumour growth in mice receiving a fish oil diet.