Esophageal cancer is the eighth most prevalent cancer, and the sixth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. There are two histologic types of esophageal cancer;squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma. SCC is by far the most common type worldwide, accounting for about 90% of all esophageal cancer. This disease has a poor prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of about 12%. The major risk factors for esophageal SCC are tobacco and alcohol use, consumption of salty and moldy foods that are frequently contaminated with N-nitrosamine carcinogens, vitamin and trace mineral deficiencies, and diets high in starch but low in fruits and vegetables. Our laboratory has been evaluating the use of freeze-dried berries, mainly black raspberries (BRBs), for the prevention of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in rats. In the rat, esophageal tumors are induced within 25-30 weeks by repeated s.c. injections of the N-nitrosamine carcinogen, N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBA). The addition of 5% and 10% BRB powder to the diet of NMBA-treated rats reduces the number of esophageal tumors by 50-60%. During the past 5 years, we demonstrated that BRBs reduce NMBA-induced DNA damage in the rat esophagus and they inhibit proliferation, inflammation and angiogenesis, and stimulate apoptosis in premalignant esophageal cells and tissues. They also modulate the expression levels of genes associated with all of these cellular functions. Using bio-directed fractionation, we and our collaborators found that the anthocyanins in BRBs are important for their chemopreventive effects. The anthocyanins are responsible for the color of BRBs and much of their antioxidant activity. Because we rarely observe more than 50-60% inhibition of esophageal carcinogenesis with BRBs or the anthocyanins alone, we now propose to use the anthocyanins in combination with phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) for the prevention of esophageal cancer. In the 1990's we identified PEITC as a very potent inhibitor of tumor initiation in the rat esophagus, however, unlike BRBs, PEITC failed to inhibit esophageal tumor progression when given in the diet post-initiation. We propose therefore, to identify low dietary concentrations of BRB anthocyanins (Specific Aim 1) and of PEITC (Specific Aim 2) that inhibit NMBA- induced esophageal tumorigenesis, and then evaluate these agents in combination (Specific Aim 3) with the objective of achieving a high level of chemopreventive efficacy using minimal dietary levels of these agents. We also propose to examine the effects of dietary anthocyanins and PEITC, alone and in combination, on the formation of NMBA-induced DNA adducts in rat esophagus as well as their effects on the expression of genes associated with cell proliferation, inflammation, angiogenesis and apoptosis (Specific Aim 4). Ultimately, we plan to evaluate these agents for prevention of esophageal SCC in humans at high risk for the disease.

Public Health Relevance

Esophageal cancer is the eighth most prevalent cancer, and the sixth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Our laboratory is developing strategies for the prevention of esophageal cancer using freeze-dried berries and isothiocyanate compounds found in vegetables. We now propose to evaluate the anthocyanins in berries in combination with phenethyl isothiocyanate in vegetables for their ability to prevent esophageal cancer at low, non-toxic, dietary concentrations.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
7R01CA103180-07
Application #
8026870
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-OTC-W (02))
Program Officer
Seifried, Harold E
Project Start
2003-08-01
Project End
2014-01-31
Budget Start
2011-05-27
Budget End
2012-01-31
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$372,148
Indirect Cost
Name
Medical College of Wisconsin
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
937639060
City
Milwaukee
State
WI
Country
United States
Zip Code
53226
Pan, Pan; Peiffer, Daniel S; Huang, Yi-Wen et al. (2018) Inhibition of the development of N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine-induced esophageal tumors in rats by strawberries and aspirin, alone and in combination. J Berry Res 8:137-146
Pan, Pan; Lam, Vy; Salzman, Nita et al. (2017) Black Raspberries and Their Anthocyanin and Fiber Fractions Alter the Composition and Diversity of Gut Microbiota in F-344 Rats. Nutr Cancer 69:943-951
Peiffer, Daniel S; Wang, Li-Shu; Zimmerman, Noah P et al. (2016) Dietary Consumption of Black Raspberries or Their Anthocyanin Constituents Alters Innate Immune Cell Trafficking in Esophageal Cancer. Cancer Immunol Res 4:72-82
Peiffer, Daniel S; Zimmerman, Noah P; Wang, Li-Shu et al. (2014) Chemoprevention of esophageal cancer with black raspberries, their component anthocyanins, and a major anthocyanin metabolite, protocatechuic acid. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 7:574-84
Wang, Li-Shu; Burke, Carol A; Hasson, Henrietta et al. (2014) A phase Ib study of the effects of black raspberries on rectal polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 7:666-74
Wang, Li-Shu; Kuo, Chieh-Ti; Huang, Tim H-M et al. (2013) Black raspberries protectively regulate methylation of Wnt pathway genes in precancerous colon tissue. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 6:1317-27
Mentor-Marcel, Roycelynn A; Bobe, Gerd; Sardo, Christine et al. (2012) Plasma cytokines as potential response indicators to dietary freeze-dried black raspberries in colorectal cancer patients. Nutr Cancer 64:820-5
Wang, Li-Shu; Arnold, Mark; Huang, Yi-Wen et al. (2011) Modulation of genetic and epigenetic biomarkers of colorectal cancer in humans by black raspberries: a phase I pilot study. Clin Cancer Res 17:598-610
Luo, Wenjing; Li, Jingxia; Zhang, Dongyun et al. (2010) Bid mediates anti-apoptotic COX-2 induction through the IKKbeta/NFkappaB pathway due to 5-MCDE exposure. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 10:96-106
Stoner, Gary D; Wang, Li-Shu; Seguin, Claire et al. (2010) Multiple berry types prevent N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine-induced esophageal cancer in rats. Pharm Res 27:1138-45

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