Plasma levels of platinum-induced fatty acid [16:4n-3] do not affect response to platinum-based chemotherapy: A pilot study in non-small cell lung cancer patients

Barbara S van der Meij; Laisa Teleni; Avalyn E Stanislaus; Rachel A Murphy; Lindsay Robinson; Vijaya L Damaraju; Quincy Chu; Michael B Sawyer; Vera Mazurak

doi:10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.09.009

Plasma levels of platinum-induced fatty acid [16:4n-3] do not affect response to platinum-based chemotherapy: A pilot study in non-small cell lung cancer patients

Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2020 Dec:40:263-268. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.09.009. Epub 2020 Oct 7.

Authors

Barbara S van der Meij¹, Laisa Teleni², Avalyn E Stanislaus³, Rachel A Murphy⁴, Lindsay Robinson⁵, Vijaya L Damaraju⁶, Quincy Chu⁷, Michael B Sawyer⁸, Vera Mazurak⁹

Affiliations

¹ Bond University Nutrition and Dietetics Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Australia; Department of Dietetics and Foodservices, Mater Health Services, Mater Hospital, Australia. Electronic address: bvanderm@bond.edu.au.
² Bond University Nutrition and Dietetics Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Australia. Electronic address: laisa.teleni@gmail.com.
³ Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: avalyn@ualberta.ca.
⁴ School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Canada. Electronic address: rachel.murphy@ubc.ca.
⁵ Human Health and Nutritional Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada. Electronic address: lrobinso@uoguelph.ca.
⁶ Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: Vijaya.Damaraju@albertahealthservices.ca.
⁷ Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: qschu@ualberta.ca.
⁸ Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: Michael.Sawyer@albertahealthservices.ca.
⁹ Faculty of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: vmazurak@ualberta.ca.

PMID: 33183547
DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.09.009

Abstract

Background & aims: Pre-clinical studies suggest that 16:4(n-3) in purified form or as a component of fish oil might induce platinum-based chemotherapy resistance. Our aim was to determine plasma total and free 16:4(n-3) before and during platinum-based chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients supplemented with fish oil or provided standard care, and to explore relationships between plasma 16:4(n-3) levels and tumor response to treatment.

Methods: In a retrospective, secondary data analysis of a prior clinical trial, plasma from patients with NSCLC (n = 21) who underwent platinum-based chemotherapy and were assigned to 2.2 g/day of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) plus 1.1 g DHA/day as fish oil (FO; n = 12) or received no intervention (standard care; SC; n = 9). Plasma 16:4(n-3) was quantified as free and esterified (total) fatty acid using HPLC-MS/MS. Plasma 16:4(n-3) levels were evaluated over time in relation to fish oil supplementation and response to platinum-based therapy, and compared with a group of healthy subjects (REF; n = 11).

Results: Plasma 16:4(n-3) was detected in all samples. The percentage change/day in plasma esterified (total) 16:4(n-3) was higher for FO versus SC group (2.7 versus -1.8%/d, U = 20, p = 0.02), but change in plasma free 16:4(n-3) was not different between FO and SC. Median plasma free and esterified 16:4(n-3) were similar between responders and non-responders to platinum-based chemotherapy. Total and free plasma 16:4(n-3) fatty acids were similar between NSCLC patients and REF (NSCLC vs REF: total 16:4(n-3): 122.9 vs. 95.2 nM and free 16:4(n-3) 23.9 vs. 27.6 nM).

Conclusions: This first of its kind study that evaluated plasma 16:4(n-3) in NSCLC patients showed that 16:4 (n-3) was elevated during FO supplementation, independent of fish oil supplementation or platinum-based chemotherapy.

Keywords: Chemotherapy resistance; Fish oil; NSCLC; Platinum-induced fatty acid; Treatment response.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* / drug therapy
Docosahexaenoic Acids
Eicosapentaenoic Acid
Fatty Acids
Humans
Lung Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Pilot Projects
Platinum
Retrospective Studies
Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Substances

Fatty Acids
Docosahexaenoic Acids
Platinum
Eicosapentaenoic Acid