Article

Methyl nutrients inhibit growth of feline lymphoma

These results could be useful in developing dietary strategies for treating and preventing feline lymphoma.

Feline lymphoma is one of the most frequently diagnosed tumors in cats. Lipotropes are dietary methyl donors that may modulate DNA methylation status and the expression of genes involved in growth and apoptosis of feline lymphoma cells. The specific objective of the study was to determine if lipotropes affect the growth of feline lymphoma cells, which entailed examining a correlation between lymphoma cell proliferation and apoptosis.

F1B and FeLV-3281 cells were cultured and treated with 20 times the level of lipotropes contained in the basal culture medium. Cell growth and death and caspase 3 and tumor protein p53 activity were measured. Lipotropes were found to significantly reduce cell growth and increase cell death. Caspase 3 and p53 activity was seen in F1B cells after 72 hours, but the effect was minimal on FeLV-3281.

These results could be useful in the development of dietary strategies for treating and preventing feline lymphoma.

Source: L. Mabasa et al., 2012. Lipotropes (methyl nutrients) inhibit growth of feline lymphoma in vitro. Res Vet Sci 93: 259-263. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2011.05.015

Updated: Jun 25, 2012