Department of Nutrition Sciences, Stone Hall, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1264, USA.
Nutr Res Rev. 2012 Jun;25(1):68-95. doi: 10.1017/S0954422411000199.
Breast cancer incidence is rising worldwide with an increase in aggressive neoplasias in young women. Possible factors involved include lifestyle changes, notably diet that is known to make an impact on gene transcription. However, among dietary factors, there is sufficient support for only greater body weight and alcohol consumption whereas numerous studies revealing an impact of specific diets and nutrients on breast cancer risk show conflicting results. Also, little information is available from middle- and low-income countries. The diversity of gene expression profiles found in breast cancers indicates that transcription control is critical for the outcome of the disease. This suggests the need for studies on nutrients that affect epigenetic mechanisms of transcription, such as DNA methylation and post-translational modifications of histones. In the present review, a new examination of the relationship between diet and breast cancer based on transcription control is proposed in light of epidemiological, animal and clinical studies. The mechanisms underlying the impact of diets on breast cancer development and factors that impede reaching clear conclusions are discussed. Understanding the interaction between nutrition and epigenetics (gene expression control via chromatin structure) is critical in light of the influence of diet during early stages of mammary gland development on breast cancer risk, suggesting a persistent effect on gene expression as shown by the influence of certain nutrients on DNA methylation. Successful development of breast cancer prevention strategies will require appropriate models, identification of biological markers for rapid assessment of preventive interventions, and coordinated worldwide research to discern the effects of diet.
乳腺癌发病率在全球范围内呈上升趋势，年轻女性中侵袭性肿瘤的发病率也在上升。可能涉及的因素包括生活方式的改变，尤其是饮食，已知饮食会对基因转录产生影响。然而，在饮食因素中，只有体重增加和饮酒量得到了充分的支持，而许多研究表明特定饮食和营养物质对乳腺癌风险有影响，但结果却相互矛盾。此外，从中等收入和低收入国家获得的信息也很少。在乳腺癌中发现的基因表达谱的多样性表明转录控制对疾病的结果至关重要。这表明需要研究影响转录的表观遗传机制的营养素，如 DNA 甲基化和组蛋白的翻译后修饰。在本综述中，根据转录控制，提出了基于流行病学、动物和临床研究的饮食与乳腺癌之间关系的新研究。讨论了饮食对乳腺癌发生的影响的潜在机制，以及阻碍得出明确结论的因素。鉴于饮食在乳腺发育早期对乳腺癌风险的影响，了解营养与表观遗传学（通过染色质结构控制基因表达）之间的相互作用至关重要，这表明某些营养素对 DNA 甲基化的影响表明其对基因表达具有持续作用。成功制定乳腺癌预防策略需要适当的模型、快速评估预防干预措施的生物学标志物的识别，以及协调全球范围的研究以辨别饮食的影响。
