Cod liver oil, omega-3 rich, in the maternal diet and intergenerational modulation of morphometric parameters in tumour-bearing rats

Author(s)

Sarah Christine Pereira de Oliveira

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia
• Defense date: 2019-08-29

Examining board members

Maria Cristina Cintra Gomes Marcondes; Silvana Bordin; Mariana Maschietto

• Advisor: Maria Cristina Cintra Gomes Marcondes

Abstract

Cancer-cachexia occurs in 85% of cancer patients with advanced stage and leads to high adipose and muscle tissues spoliation, which impairs the quality of life in those patients, decreasing their survival. One parallel approach to improve cancer-cachexia is through nutritional supplementation. For example, polyunsaturated fatty acid omega-3 has been associated with protein catabolism attenuation and DNA methylation, reducing the muscle spoliation and tumour development. Cancer incidence is related to environment and lifestyle, then, the maintenance of a balanced diet throughout life and, especially, during the foetal and infant period are effective strategies for cancer prevention or modulation of its harmful effects, likely by epigenetic modifications. So, we hypothesised that nutritional supplementation with cod liver oil could preserve body mass by regulating protein synthesis and degradation in skeletal muscle, modulating the cachectic state led by cancer. In order to do that, we analysed the protein synthesis and degradation pathways in the gastrocnemius muscle, and also the global DNA methylation in tumour tissue of 141-day-old adult offspring rats submitted to Walker 256 tumour implant, whose mothers received this nutritional supplementation in pregnancy and lactation periods. As observed, the offspring¿s development patterns were the same until adulthood. The tumour weights were similar. Analysing the tumour tissue, the expression levels of proteins related to angiogenesis, metastasis, cell death and tumoral suppression were similar between both groups, as well as the global DNA methylation levels. The tumour-bearing maternally cod liver oil supplemented group presented fat mass reduction, and also the lean body mass. In accord, the mTOR and the 4E-BP1 expression levels were decreased in this group, even though there were no differences among the proteasome subunits. Moreover, in the non-tumour-bearing groups, the serum triglycerides levels reduced in the maternally cod liver oil supplemented group in relation to the control group. The results showed that the maternal supplementation slightly influenced the cachexia impairment, since there was spoliation of both adipose and muscle tissues. Also, the maternal nutritional scheme modulated the lipid metabolism in adult offspring, likely due to epigenetic mechanisms, since the only intervention occurred during the maternal period. Summing up, this work highlights the influence of maternal nutrition over the adult offspring¿s health (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/10809-2 - Evaluation of DNA methylation profile in muscle and tumour tissue in adult rats, walker 256 tumour bearing, from offspring of rats submitted to COD liver oil diet
• Grantee: Sarah Christine Pereira de Oliveira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master