Positive Health Online

Abstract

PIERRE and COLLEAGUES,  (1)Université de Toulouse, French National Institute For Agricultural Research, Joint Research Unit 1331 Xénobiotiques, Toulouse, France (FHFP, OCBM, RLS, ST, NN, FG, MA, JD, and DEC); the French Pork and Pig Institute-Institut du Porc, Paris, France (RLS and J-LV); the INRA, UMR 1019, Human Nutrition Unit, Research  Center for Human Nutrition Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrrand, France (NM, DA, and NC);  the University hospital Clermont-Ferrand, Service de Nutrition, Clermont-Ferrrand, France (NM and NC); the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE (SSM); and the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom (GCGK) investigated whether cured meat modulates biomarkers of cancer risk in human volunteers and whether specific agents can suppress cured meat-induced preneoplastic lesions in rats and associated biomarkers in rats and  humans.

Background

Processed meat intake has been associated with increased colorectal cancer risk. We have shown that cured meat promotes carcinogen-induced preneoplastic lesions and increases specific biomarkers in the colon of rats.

Methodology

Six additives (calcium carbonate, inulin, rutin, carnosol, α-tocopherol, and trisodium pyrophosphate) were added to cured meat given to groups of rats for 14 d, and faecal biomarkers were measured. On the basis of these results, calcium and tocopherol were kept for the following additional experiments: cured meat, with or without calcium or tocopherol, was given to dimethyl hydrazine-initiated rats (47% meat diet for 100 d) and to human volunteers in a crossover study (180 g/d for 4 d). Rat colons were scored for mucin-depleted foci, putative precancer lesions. Biomarkers of nitrosation, lipoperoxidation, and cytotoxicity were measured in the urine and faeces of rats and

Results

Cured meat increased nitroso compounds and lipoperoxidation in human stools (both P < 0.05). Calcium normalized both biomarkers in rats and human faeces, whereas tocopherol only decreased nitro compounds in rats and lipoperoxidation in faeces of volunteers (all P < 0.05). Last, calcium and tocopherol reduced the number of mucin-depleted foci per colon in rats compared with non-supplemented cured meat (P = 0.01).

Conclusion

Data suggest that the addition of calcium carbonate to the diet or α-tocopherol to cured meat may reduce colorectal cancer risk associated with cured-meat intake. This trial was registered at clinical trials.gov as NCT00994526.

References

Pierre FH(1), Martin OC, Santarelli RL, Taché S, Naud N, Guéraud F, Audebert M, Dupuy J, Meunier N, Attaix D, Vendeuvre JL, Mirvish SS, Kuhnle GC, Cano N, Corpet DE. Calcium and α-tocopherol suppress cured-meat promotion of chemically induced colon carcinogenesis in rats and reduce associated biomarkers in human volunteers.  Am J Clin Nutr. 98(5):1255-62. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.061069. Nov 2013. Epub Sep 11 2013.

Comment

The above research suggests that adding calcium carbonate to the diet or α-tocopherol to cured meat may help to reduce colorectal cancer risk associated with cured-meat intake.