Dietary zinc deficiency fuels esophageal cancer development by inducing a distinct inflammatory signature.

ABSTRACT: Chronic inflammation is implicated in the pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The causes of inflammation in ESCC, however, are undefined. Dietary zinc (Zn)-deficiency (ZD) increases the risk of ESCC. We have previously shown that short-term ZD (6 weeks) in rats induces overexpression of the proinflammatory mediators S100a8 and S100a9 in the esophageal mucosa with accompanying esophageal epithelial hyperplasia. Here we report that prolonged ZD (21 weeks) in rats amplified this inflammation that when combined with non-carcinogenic low doses of the environmental carcinogen, N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBA) elicited a 66.7% (16/24) incidence of ESCC. With Zn-sufficiency, NMBA produced no cancers (0/21) (P<0.001). At tumor endpoint, the neoplastic ZD esophagus, as compar

SUBMITTER: Taccioli C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3310953 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature