Free radical derivatives formed from cyclooxygenase-catalyzed dihomo-γ-linolenic acid peroxidation can attenuate colon cancer cell growth and enhance 5-fluorouracil׳s cytotoxicity

Highlight•The free radical metabolites from DGLA peroxidation may possess anticancer activity.•The DGLA׳s radical derivatives could induce cell cycle arrest in colon cancer cell.•The DGLA׳s radical derivatives could induce apoptosis in colon cancer cell.•The DGLA׳s radical derivatives could sensitize colon cancer cell to 5-fluororacil.

Dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA) and its downstream fatty acid arachidonic acid (AA) are both nutritionally important ω–6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω–6s). Evidence shows that, via COX-mediated peroxidation, DGLA and its metabolites (1-series prostaglandins) are associated with anti-tumor activity, while AA and its metabolites (2-series prostaglandins) could be tightly implicated in various cancer diseases. However, it still remains a mystery why DGLA and AA possess contrasting bioactivities. Our previous studies showed that DGLA could go through an exclusive C-8 oxygenation pathway during COX-catalyzed lipid peroxidation in addition to a C-15 oxygenation pathway shared by both DGLA and AA, and that the exclusive C-8 oxygenation could lead to the production of distinct DGLA׳s free radical derivatives that may be correlated with DGLA׳s anti-proliferation activity. In the present work, we further investigate the anti-cancer effect of DGLA׳s free radical derivatives and their associated molecular mechanisms. Our study shows that the exclusive DGLA׳s free radical derivatives from C-8 oxygenation lead to cell growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in the human colon cancer cell line HCA-7 colony 29, probably by up-regulating the cancer suppressor p53 and the cell cycle inhibitor p27. In addition, these exclusive radical derivatives were also able to enhance the efficacy of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), a widely used chemo-drug for colon cancer. For the first time, we show how DGLA׳s radical pathway and metabolites are associated with DGLA׳s anti-cancer activities and able to sensitize colon cancer cells to chemo-drugs such as 5-FU. Our findings could be used to guide future development of a combined chemotherapy and dietary care strategy for colon cancer treatment.

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