Role of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Exercise in Breast Cancer Prevention: Identifying Common Targets

Soil health and nutrient density: preliminary comparison of regenerative and conventional farming

Several independent comparisons indicate regenerative farming practices enhance the nutritional profiles of crops and livestock. Measurements from paired farms across the United States indicate differences in soil health and crop nutrient density between fields worked with conventional (synthetically-fertilized and herbicide-treated) or regenerative practices for 5 to 10 years. Specifically, regenerative farms that combined no-till, cover crops, and diverse rotations-a system known as Conservation Agriculture-produced crops with higher soil organic matter levels, soil health scores, and levels of certain vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. In addition, crops from two regenerative no-till vegetable farms, one in California and the other in Connecticut, had higher levels of phytochemicals than values reported previously from New York supermarkets. Moreover, a comparison of wheat from adjacent regenerative and conventional no-till fields in northern Oregon found a higher density of mineral micronutrients in the regenerative crop. Finally, a comparison of the unsaturated fatty acid profile of beef and pork raised on one of the regenerative farms to a regional health-promoting brand and conventional meat from local supermarkets, found higher levels of omega-3 fats and a more health-beneficial ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats. Despite small sample sizes, all three crop comparisons show differences in micronutrient and phytochemical concentrations that suggest soil health is an under appreciated influence on nutrient density, particularly for phytochemicals not conventionally considered nutrients but nonetheless relevant to chronic disease prevention. Likewise, regenerative grazing practices produced meat with a better fatty acid profile than conventional and regional health-promoting brands. Together these comparisons offer preliminary support for the conclusion that regenerative soil-building farming practices can enhance the nutritional profile of conventionally grown plant and animal foods.

Plasmalogen Deficiency and Overactive Fatty Acid Elongation Biomarkers in Serum of Breast Cancer Patients Pre- and Post-Surgery-New Insights on Diagnosis, Risk Assessment, and Disease Mechanisms

Simple Summary

Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Mammography and ultrasonography are commonly used for BC screening; however, they are associated with problems such as inconvenience, radiation exposure, and dependence on the skill level of operators. To overcome this problem, we performed a comprehensive lipid metabolomic analysis of serum using high-resolution accurate mass spectrometry from two case-control studies that included non-BC, BC subjects pre-surgery and BC subjects one-month post-surgery to determine if the metabolic signatures of over-active fatty acid elongation and other lipid changes could be detected in BC vs. non-BC subjects. The ratios of the linoleic acid to the oleic acid which were evaluated in multiple lipid pools were lower in pre-surgery BC subjects, however, these ratios increased at post-surgery and were no longer different from non-BC subjects. On the other hand, the ethanolamine plasmalogen levels were lower in pre-surgery BC subjects and were not recovered by surgical removal. These do not appear to be caused by BC tumor activity and may be pre-existent and a possible risk factor for BC. In this study, we have identified several lipid metabolic systems that detect both BC risk and BC activity.

Abstract

The polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) elongase, ELOVL5, is upregulated in breast cancer (BC) vs. adjacent normal tissue. We performed a comprehensive lipid metabolomic analysis of serum using high-resolution accurate mass spectrometry from two case-control studies that included non-BC, BC subjects pre-surgery, and BC subjects one-month post-surgery to determine if the metabolic signatures of over-active fatty acid elongation and other lipid changes could be detected in BC vs. non-BC subjects: study 1 (n = 48: non-BC, n = 69: pre-surgery BC); study 2 (blinded validation: n = 121: non-BC, n = 62: pre-surgery BC, n = 31: one month post-surgery). The ratio of the ELOVL5 precursor, linoleic acid (18:2) to a non-ELOVL5 precursor, oleic acid (18:1) was evaluated in multiple lipid pools (phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn), phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho), lyso-PtdCho, and free fatty acids). This ratio was lower in pre-surgery BC subjects in all pools in both studies (p < 0.001). At one-month post-surgery, the 18:2/18:1 ratios increased vs. pre-surgery and were no longer different from non-BC subjects (p > 0.05 expect for lyso-PtdCho). In contrast to the elongation biomarkers, docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) containing ethanolamine plasmalogen (EtnPls) species were observed to be further decreased in BC subjects one-month post-surgery vs. pre-surgery levels (p < 0.001). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that ELOVL5 is upregulated in BC tissue, which would result in the selective depletion of 18:2 vs. 18:1 containing lipid species. Surgical removal of the tumor removes the overactive ELOVL5 effect on serum lipids. In contrast, the low EtnPls levels do not appear to be caused by BC tumor activity and may be pre-existent and a possible risk factor for BC. These results indicate that it may be possible to screen for both breast cancer risk and breast cancer activity using a simple blood test.

The association between fatty acid intake and breast cancer based on the NHANES and Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

Observational studies have examined the association between fatty acid intake and breast cancer (BC), and the association might vary depending on menopausal status, but the results remain controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between fatty acid intake and BC.

METHODS

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2016 was used in the study, and stratified analysis by menopausal status was performed. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations between BC and intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), adjusting for covariates. Three two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) methods-inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, and Mendelian randomization-Egger (MR-Egger) regression-were applied to further verify the associations between intake of fatty acids and BC.

RESULTS

Higher intake of MUFAs was associated with lower risk of BC in premenopausal women: ORs (95 %CI): 0.325 (0.110, 0.964). IVW showed that increased intake of MUFAs was associated with a reduced risk of BC: 0.997 (0.995, 1.000), p = 0.024. No associations between BC and SFAs, MUFAs or PUFAs were found in postmenopausal women or in the overall population.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing intake of MUFAs might reduce the risk of BC in premenopausal women. The protective effect of MUFAs on BC was also supported by MR study.

Successive High-Resolution (H2O)n-GCIB and C60-SIMS Imaging Integrates Multi-Omics in Different Cell Types in Breast Cancer Tissue

The temporo-spatial organization of different cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is the key to understanding their complex communication networks and the immune landscape that exists within compromised tissues. Multi-omics profiling of single-interacting cells in the native TME is critical for providing further information regarding the reprograming mechanisms leading to immunosuppression and tumor progression. This requires new technologies for biomolecular profiling of phenotypically heterogeneous cells on the same tissue sample. Here, we developed a new methodology for comprehensive lipidomic and metabolomic profiling of individual cells on frozen-hydrated tissue sections using water gas cluster ion beam secondary ion mass spectrometry ((H2O)n-GCIB-SIMS) (at 1.6 μm beam spot size), followed by profiling cell-type specific lanthanide antibodies on the same tissue section using C60-SIMS (at 1.1 μm beam spot size). We revealed distinct variations of distribution and intensities of >150 key ions (e.g., lipids and important metabolites) in different types of the TME individual cells, such as actively proliferating tumor cells as well as infiltrating immune cells. The demonstrated feasibility of SIMS imaging to integrate the multi-omics profiling in the same tissue section at the single-cell level will lead to new insights into the role of lipid reprogramming and metabolic response in normal regulation or pathogenic discoordination of cell-cell interactions in a variety of tissue microenvironments.

Fish oil supplementation increases expression of mammary tumor apoptosis mediators and reduces inflammation in an obesity-associated HER-2 breast cancer model

Obesity is associated with inflammation and has been shown to increase breast cancer severity. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of fish oil (FO) supplementation in obesity-associated mammary tumorigenesis in the MMTV-neu(ndl)-YD5 mouse model of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive BC. Female mice were fed one of three diets for 16 weeks: i) high fat diet [HF, % kacl: 41.2% lard, 18.7% corn oil (CO)], ii) an isocaloric HF plus menhaden FO diet (HF+FO, % kcal: 41.2 lard, 13.4% CO, 5.3% FO), iii) low fat diet (LF, % kcal: 4.7% lard, 6% CO). HF mice had increased body weight, visceral adipose weight and serum hormone concentrations (increased leptin and resistin; decreased adiponectin) versus LF, which was attenuated in the HF+FO group versus HF (P<.05). Compared to HF, tumor onset was delayed in HF+FO and LF mice (P<0.05). Compared to HF, HF+FO reduced mammary tumor multiplicity (-27%), tumor weight (-46%) and total tumor volume (-50%) (P<0.05). Additionally, HF+FO reduced mammary tumor multiplicity (-33%), tumor weight (-39%) and total tumor volume (-60%) versus LF. HF+FO improved mammary tumor apoptosis status with increased expression of pro-apoptotic Bad and decreased expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-xLmediators versus HF (P<0.05). Additionally, HF+FO decreased tumor protein expression of activated Akt, NFκB p65 and STAT3, versus HF (P<0.05). Tumor mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators TNFα, IL-6 and leptin were reduced in HF+FO, whereas IL-10 expression was increased compared to HF (P<0.05). Collectively these results demonstrate the efficacy of FO supplementation for improving obesity-associated breast cancer outcomes.

Effect of the Expression of ELOVL5 and IGFBP6 Genes on the Metastatic Potential of Breast Cancer Cells

Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of death from malignant neoplasms among women worldwide, and metastatic BC presents the biggest problems for treatment. Previously, it was shown that lower expression of ELOVL5 and IGFBP6 genes is associated with a higher risk of the formation of distant metastases in BC. In this work, we studied the change in phenotypical traits, as well as in the transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of BC cells as a result of the stable knockdown of ELOVL5 and IGFBP6 genes. The knockdown of ELOVL5 and IGFBP6 genes was found to lead to a strong increase in the expression of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) MMP1. These results were in good agreement with the correlation analysis of gene expression in tumor samples from patients and were additionally confirmed by zymography. The knockdown of ELOVL5 and IGFBP6 genes was also discovered to change the expression of a group of genes involved in the formation of intercellular contacts. In particular, the expression of the CDH11 gene was markedly reduced, which also complies with the correlation analysis. The spheroid formation assay showed that intercellular adhesion decreased as a result of the knockdown of the ELOVL5 and IGFBP6 genes. Thus, the obtained data indicate that malignant breast tumors with reduced expression of the ELOVL5 and IGFBP6 genes can metastasize with a higher probability due to a more efficient invasion of tumor cells.

Mediterranean diet and breast cancer risk: a narrative review

Breast cancer is the second most frequent type of cancer worldwide and the most commonly occurring malignancy in women, and its incidence is increasing in most developed and developing countries. There is growing evidence that lifestyle factors, in particular diet may be associated with higher breast cancer risk. Some evidence exists regarding the benefit of Mediterranean diet on reduced risk of breast cancer in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. The protective effect of the Mediterranean diet against the risk of breast cancer, is primarily due to principal foods of this nutritional pattern. The principal components of the Mediterranean diet, such as fruits and vegetables, olive oil, fish and red wine have important antioxidants properties due to their high content of substances like polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids and fibers, along with a favorable fatty acid profile, that in turn could reduce the risk of breast cancer. Considering the severity of breast cancer and the increasing incidence in the world, there is an increasing interest in promoting prevention strategies in order to reduce the incidence. The aim of this paper is to provide a general overview of the current evidence on the relationship between breast cancer and Mediterranean diet, in premenopausal and postmenopausal women, and to emphasize the potential role of Mediterranean Diet as an effective tool in primary prevention. The possible molecular mechanisms underlying this association will be also pointed out.

Pubertal mammary development as a "susceptibility window" for breast cancer disparity

Factors such as socioeconomic status, age at menarche and childbearing patterns are components that have been shown to influence mammary gland development and establish breast cancer disparity. Pubertal mammary gland development is selected as the focus of this review, as it is identified as a "window of susceptibility" for breast cancer risk and disparity. Here we recognize non-Hispanic White, African American, and Asian American women as the focus of breast cancer disparity, in conjunction with diets associated with changes in breast cancer risk. Diets consisting of high fat, N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, N-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as obesity and the Western diet have shown to lead to changes in pubertal mammary gland development in mammalian models, therefore increasing the risk of breast cancer and breast cancer disparity. While limited intervention strategies are offered to adolescents to mitigate development changes and breast cancer risk, the prominent solution to closing the disparity among the selected population is to foster lifestyle changes that avoid the deleterious effects of unhealthy diets.

Nutrition, Cancer and Personalized Medicine

Cancer is a complex group of diseases where different signaling pathways have been found to be deregulated, mainly related to cell proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, evasion of apoptosis and insensitivity to anti-growth sings among others. Diet plays a fundamental role in the treatment of the oncological patients, we must be aware that food can interact with certain types of cancer therapy. On the other hand, cancer therapies sometimes affect the patient's sense of smell, taste, appetite, gastric capacity or nutrient absorption, which often results in malnutrition due to the lack of essential nutriments. In this chapter we will review the effect of different metabolic disorders in cancer and mechanisms of action of some phytochemicals found in different foods like resveratrol, EGCG, curcumin and lycopene.

Differentiating the biological effects of linoleic acid from arachidonic acid in health and disease

Dietary fatty acids are associated with the development of many chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and several cancers. This review explores the literature surrounding the combined and individual roles of n-6 PUFAs linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) as they relate to immune and inflammatory response, cardiovascular health, liver health, and cancer. The evidence suggests that a pro-inflammatory view of LA and AA may be over simplified. Overall, this review highlights gaps in our understanding of the biological roles of LA, AA and their complex relationship with n-3 PUFA and the need for future studies that examine the roles of individual fatty acids, rather than groups.

Obesity, Dietary Factors, Nutrition, and Breast Cancer Risk

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To synthesize the critical role of obesity-associated inflammation, dietary factors, and nutrition in determining breast cancer risk.

RECENT FINDINGS

Obesity-associated inflammation is strongly linked to breast cancer risk and progression, largely via two processes: inflammatory pathways and dysregulated metabolism. Cytokine production in excess adipose tissues creates a chronic inflammatory microenvironment, which favors tumor development. Lifestyle factors, including diet, have long been recognized as important determinants of breast cancer risk and mortality.

SUMMARY

Obesity increases the risk of developing breast cancer in both pre- and postmenopausal women and also negatively affects breast cancer recurrence and survival. Poor dietary habits characterized by the high intake of refined starches, sugar, and both saturated and trans-saturated fats, as well as the low intake of omega-3 fatty acids, natural antioxidants, and fiber, modulate inflammation and, thereby, appear to be linked to increased risk of breast cancer and mortality.

Electrophilic derivatives of omega-3 fatty acids counteract lung cancer cell growth

PURPOSE

17-oxo-DHA is an electrophilic keto-derivative of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) endogenously generated by cyclooxygenase-2 and a cellular dehydrogenase. 17-oxo-DHA displays anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective actions. DHA, alone or in combination with standard chemotherapy, displays antitumor activity. However, the effects of electrophilic keto-derivatives of DHA on cancer growth have never been evaluated. We investigated whether 17-oxo-DHA, alone or in combination with gemcitabine, displayed antitumor effects. Furthermore, we evaluated whether the enzyme 15-prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) was required for transducing the antitumor effects of DHA.

METHODS

A panel of five histologically different human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines was used. Cells were treated with 17-oxo-DHA and gemcitabine, alone or in combination, and apoptosis, proliferation, Fas and FasL expression (mRNA and protein) and active caspase-3/7 and -8 were assessed. Furthermore, an inhibitor of 15-PGDH was used to test the involvement of this enzyme in mediating the antitumor effects of DHA.

RESULTS

17-oxo-DHA (50 µM, 72 h) significantly reduced proliferation, increased cell apoptosis, Fas and FasL expression as well as active caspase-8 and -3/7. When 17-oxo-DHA was given in combination with gemcitabine, stronger effects were observed compared to gemcitabine alone. The enzyme 15-PGDH was required for DHA to promote its full anti-apoptotic effect suggesting that enzymatically generated keto-derivatives of DHA mediate its antitumor actions.

CONCLUSIONS

Data herein provided, demonstrate that 17-oxo-DHA displays antitumor effects in NSCLC cell lines. Of note, the combination of 17-oxo-DHA plus gemcitabine, resulted in stronger anticancer effects compared to gemcitabine alone.

Curcumin and linseed oil co-delivered in phospholipid nanoemulsions enhances the levels of docosahexaenoic acid in serum and tissue lipids of rats

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an important long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) primarily found in marine fishes. The diets of vegetarian population do not contain preformed DHA, but they can derive it from shorter chain α-linolenic acid (ALA) found in plant oils. However, the conversion efficiency of ALA to DHA is minimal in human adults. This may cause insufficiency of DHA in the vegetarian population. Curcumin, diferuloyl methane found in the spice turmeric, has the potential to increase the formation of DHA from ALA by activating the enzymes FADS2 and elongase 2. The present study was designed to prepare curcumin nanoemulsion using phospholipid core material (Lipoid™) and exploring the possibility of enhancing its bioavailability and its impact on DHA levels in rats. Curcumin was dissolved in coconut oil (CNO, MCFA rich), Sunflower oil (SNO, n-6 PUFA rich) or Linseed oil (LSO, n-3 PUFA rich) and nanoemulsions were prepared after mixing with Lipoid™ using high pressure homogenizer. The nanoemulsions were fed to weaning rats for 60 days along with AIN-93 diets. Rats fed nanoemulsion containing curcumin in LSO showed high levels of curcumin in serum liver, heart and brain. Significant increase in DHA levels of serum and tissue lipids were observed in rats given LSO with curcumin in nanoemulsions. Therefore, supplementation of diets with ALA rich LSO and curcumin could increase DHA concentrations in serum, liver, heart and brain lipids which have implications for meeting the DHA requirements of vegetarian populations.