Release date: 2014-07-23
Although the occurrence of colorectal cancer is related to the carbohydrate-rich Western eating habits, the detailed mechanism is still unclear.
A study published in the July 17 issue of Cell magazine showed that carbohydrates in the intestinal microbial metabolism diet promote the proliferation of intestinal cells in mice with a genetic predisposition to colorectal cancer and form tumors. Treatment with antibiotics or a low-carbohydrate diet can significantly reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in mice with colorectal cancer, suggesting that simple measures (antibiotics or low-carbohydrate diets) may be used to prevent colorectal cancer in humans.
Alberto Martin, a researcher at the University of Toronto, said it is crucial to understand how environmental factors such as gut microbes and diet interact with genetic factors to influence the progression of colorectal cancer. New research suggests that intestinal bacteria interact with carbohydrate-rich diets, triggering a common type of hereditary colorectal cancer. In the Western diet, carbohydrates account for about half of the daily calorie intake in adults, and previous studies have found that carbohydrate-rich diets have been linked to the onset of colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is also frequently associated with tumor suppressor genes APC and MSH2 gene mutations. It is well known that the MSH2 gene plays a key role in repairing DNA damage.
However, researchers have been unclear why mutations involved in DNA repair pathways (APC and MSH2 gene mutations) are more common in colorectal cancer than in other cancers. Because gut microbes are also involved in the development of colorectal cancer, Martin and his team suspect that these mutations may interact with diets, further contributing to the progression of this type of cancer.
To explore this issue, Martin and his collaborators used APC and MSH2 mutant mice, which have a genetic predisposition to colorectal cancer. Treatment with antibiotics or a low-carbohydrate diet can reduce intestinal cell proliferation and the number of tumors in the small intestine and colon of mice.
Both treatments also reduce the amount of certain gut microbes (metabolizing carbohydrates to produce butyric acid). When butyric acid levels were increased in antibiotic-treated mice, cell proliferation and tumor numbers increased in the small intestine.
Taken together, the results suggest that metabolites produced by intestinal microbial metabolism of carbohydrates drive intestinal cell proliferation and tumor development in mice susceptible to colorectal cancer. By providing a direct link between genetics and gut microbiota, studies have shown that reducing carbohydrates in the diet and altering the gut microflora may be beneficial for individuals with a genetic predisposition to colorectal cancer.
Source: Bio Valley
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