EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID AND EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR MODULATION OF HUMANBREAST-CANCER CELL-ADHESION

Cancer cell adhesion to the subendothelial extracellular matrix (ECM) is an important step in metastasis formation, The effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on adhesion of the highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line to ECM com ponents was examined in the present study. MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited a dose-dependent decrease in adhesion to Matrigel when treated with EG F, EGF and EPA, alone or in combination, decreased adhesion to Matrige l, fibronectin and type IV collagen, These results suggest that decrea sed adhesion to ECM substrates by combined EPA and EGF treatment may b e the result of a common post-receptor signaling pathway. (C) 1997 Els evier Science Ireland Ltd.