Flaxseed oil (FO), rich in α-linolenic acid, has been shown to inhibit breast cancer growth. One suggested mechanism is through modulation of HER2 expression and signalling. This study determined the effect of FO on the growth of established HER2-overexpressing breast tumours (BT-474) and its interaction with two doses of a primary anti-HER2 therapy, trastuzumab (TRAS), in athymic mice. FO alone had no effect on tumour size, cell proliferation and apoptosis. TRAS (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) reduced tumour size and cell proliferation but had no effect on apoptosis. TRAS (2.5 mg/kg) combined with FO reduced tumour size and cell proliferation and increased apoptosis compared to TRAS (2.5 mg/kg) alone and was just as effective as 5 mg/kg TRAS. TRAS (5 mg/kg) resulted in almost complete tumour regression with or without FO. In conclusion, FO has no effect on BT-474 tumour growth but can enhance the effectiveness of low dose TRAS.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/25851 |
| Date | 12 January 2011 |
| Creators | Mason, Julie |
| Contributors | Thompson, Lilian |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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