Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
have a higher potential of modulating genes (5 from the 8 modulated genes) in
favor of lung cancer risk prevention, in comparison with the vegetable mixture
(2 from the 7 modulated genes); the other gene modulations are expected to
enhance lung cancer risk. The pathways involved were miscellaneous and
included cell growth, apoptosis, biotransformation, and immune response.
Furthermore, carrots were able to modulate most gene expressions, and most
of these effects occurred in processes that favored lung cancer risk prevention.
The study provides more insight into the genetic mechanisms by which
vegetables, in particular carrots, can prevent lung cancer risk (van Breda et al.,
2005a).
A
NTICARCINOGENIC
A
CTIVITY IN THE
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OLONIC
M
UCOSA
van Breda et al. (2005b) studied, using cDNA microarray technology, how
vegetable consumption affected gene expression in the colon mucosa of
female C57Bl/6 mice. Mice were fed one of the following diets: a control diet
without vegetables(diet 1); a diet with 100 g/kg (diet2), 200 g/kg (diet3), or
400 g/kg (diet4) of a vegetable mixture; or a diet with 70 g/kg of
cauliflower(diet5), 73 g/kg of carrots(diet 6), 226 g/kg of peas(diet7); or 31
g/kg of onions(diet8).
The vegetable mixture used in diets 2 to 4 consisted of the 4 individual
vegetables used in diets 5 to 8: cauliflower (30% wet wt), carrots (30% wet
wt), peas (30% wet wt), and onions (10% wet wt). To assess changes in gene
expression, colonic mucosal cells were collected after sacrifice of the animals.
Genes with altered expression were identified which could account for
lowered cancer risk at different stages of colorectal cancer development (van
Breda et al., 2005b)
R
EDUCTION OF
H
EAD AND
N
ECK
C
ANCER
R
ISK
Freedman et al. (2008) performed a study on 490,802 United States
participants of the NIH-AARP Diet and Health cohort using Cox proportional
hazard models adjusted for potential confounders from 1995/1996-2000. An
inverse relationship was found between intake of fruits and vegetables and risk
of head and neck cancer. In models mutually adjusted for consumption of
fruits and vegetable, a stronger association was observed in the case of
