Fatty acid composition of human periprostatic adipose tissue from Argentine patients and its relationship to prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine fatty acid composition in periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT) of patients undergoing surgery for either prostatic cancer or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). PPAT were obtained from 12 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate tumors (TPPAT, age range 55-70 years) and 11 patients undergoing adenomectomy for BPH (BPPAT, age range 57-79 years). Fatty acid methyl esters of total lipids of PPAT were processed and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Quantitation was performed by comparing the percentage area of each FAME peak on the chromatogram with that of the internal standard of known weight, and expressed as percentage of total fatty acids. There were differences in fatty acid content of PPAT, with higher levels of palmitic acid (16:0; P = 0.036) and dihomo-gammalinolenic acid (20:3 n-6; P = 0.020) and lower levels of arachidonic acid (20:4 n-6; P = 0.030) in prostate cancer PPAT, along with a higher 20:4/20:3 (P = 0.001) and lower 20:3/18:2 (P = 0.027) fatty acid ratio in benign prostate hyperplasia PPAT. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first attempt at comparing periprostatic fat pad lipid composition in different prostate pathologies. Fatty acid analysis and lipidomics may be important tools to further understand events that occur in tumor microenvironment during prostate cancer disease.