[Mouse study] High-carb Diet Accelerates Prostate Cancer

[ttlaitin]

Mice on high-carb, high-fat diet had more rapid tumor growth when compared to mice on low-carb, high-fat diet.

supports the hypothesis that cancer cells need glucose badly and will therefore suffer when the "host" is on a low-carb diet.


Background
Prior research suggested that energy balance and fat intake influence prostate cancer progression, but the influence of dietary carbohydrate on prostate cancer progression has not been well characterized. We hypothesized that hyperinsulinemia resulting from high intake of refined carbohydrates would lead to more rapid growth of tumors in the murine LNCaP xenograft model of prostate cancer.

Methods
Athymic mice were injected subcutaneously with LNCaP human prostate cancer cells and, when tumors were palpable, were randomly assigned (n = 20 per group) to high carbohydrate-high fat or low carbohydrate-high fat diets. Body weight and tumor volume were measured weekly. After 9 weeks, serum levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were measured by enzyme immunoassay. AKT activation and the levels of the insulin receptor in tumor cells were determined by immunoblotting. The in vitro growth response of LNCaP cells to serum from mice in the two treatment groups was measured based on tetrazolium compound reduction. All statistical tests were two-sided.

Results
After 9 weeks on the experimental diets, mice on the high carbohydrate-high fat diet were:


heavier (mean body weight of mice on the high carbohydrate-high fat diet = 34 g versus 29.1 g on the low carbohydrate-high fat diet, difference = 4.9 g, 95% CI = 3.8 to 6.0 g; P = .003),
experienced increased tumor growth (mean tumor volume in mice on high carbohydrate-high fat diet = 1695 versus 980 mm(3) on low carbohydrate-high fat diet, difference = 715 mm(3), 95% CI = 608 to 822 mm(3); P<.001), and
experienced a statistically significant increase in serum insulin and IGF-1 levels.


Tumors from mice on the high carbohydrate-high fat diet had higher levels of activated AKT and modestly higher insulin receptor levels than tumors from mice on the low carbohydrate-high fat diet. Serum from mice on the high carbohydrate-high fat diet was more mitogenic for LNCaP cells in vitro than serum from mice fed the low carbohydrate-high fat diet.

Conclusion
A diet high in refined carbohydrates is associated with increased tumor growth and with activation of signaling pathways distal to the insulin receptor in a murine model of prostate cancer.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=18042933&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

[Dodger]

Notice the report keeps saying 'refined' carbohydrates. This allows the medical community to keep pushing 'complex' or 'whole grain' carbohydrates as healthy.

[eryalen]

Notice the report keeps saying 'refined' carbohydrates. This allows the medical community to keep pushing 'complex' or 'whole grain' carbohydrates as healthy.
They know how to follow the party line to keep funding coming.

[Rachel1]

Notice the report keeps saying 'refined' carbohydrates. This allows the medical community to keep pushing 'complex' or 'whole grain' carbohydrates as healthy.

It's unscientific to make this claim unless there were two groups of mice fed carbs - one refined carbs, the other unrefined. I'll bet there were no such groups.

Rachel

[Zei]

Yep, feed those cancer cells some healthy whole grain bread!

[LarryAJ]

Yep, feed those cancer cells some healthy whole grain bread! YES ! Because Dr. Otto Warburg found they cannot use fat for energy. And Protein must first be converted to glucose by the liver.

Gee, if we found that we could "starve" cancer cells by no carb eating (maybe even just low-carb), then the whole cancer industry would be out of work. :rolleyes:

[eryalen]

YES ! Because Dr. Otto Warburg found they cannot use fat for energy. And Protein must first be converted to glucose by the liver.

Gee, if we found that we could "starve" cancer cells by no carb eating (maybe even just low-carb), then the whole cancer industry would be out of work. :rolleyes:
I remember reading somewhere that it's only the fastest growing cancers (most) that need so much glucose.

[francisstp]

" Conclusion

A diet high in refined carbohydrates is associated with increased tumor growth and with activation of signaling pathways distal to the insulin receptor in a murine model of prostate cancer. "



To be fair, the correct conclusion is that high carb consumption in conjunction with high fat consumption is associated with increased tumor growth and with activation of signaling pathways distal to the insulin receptor in a murine model of prostate cancer.


This kind of study will be (rightfully) easily destroyed by low-fat apologists. Next time, why don't they test low-fat high carb too, eh?