The
statins, inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A
reductase (HMGCoAR) and
orlistat, an inhibitor of
fatty acid synthase (FAS), inhibit
tumor cell growth by restricting
cholesterol and
fatty acid synthesis, respectively. We previously demonstrated that an omega (ω)-3
polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)- or
olive oil-enriched diet reduced the
polyp number and volume in ApcMin/+ mice. This phenomenon was associated with a significant inhibition of FAS and HMGCoAR, as well as an increase in the
estrogen receptor (ER)β/α ratio. Herein, we evaluated the effect of
lovastatin and
orlistat on
polyp development and ER expression in ApcMin/+ mice, in order to confirm previous data obtained with ω‑3-PUFAs and
olive oil. As expected, the use of
lovastatin and
orlistat significantly reduced HMGCoAR and FAS enzymatic activities and gene expression in colonic tissues, but did not affect the number of
intestinal polyps, while there was a statistically significant reduction in
polyp volume only in the mouse group treated with
lovastatin. In the mice receiving
orlistat, we observed a significant increase in cell proliferation in the
polyp tissue, as well as enhanced expression of ERα. Moreover, the overexpression of ERα was associated with a statistically significant increase in PES1, Shh and
Gli1 protein levels, considered ERα-related molecular targets.