Abstract 2440: The epigenetic influence of maternal diet on prevention of high-fat diet induced obesity and breast cancer in later life

Abstract

Abstract Breast cancer is one of the most lethal diseases in women. Individual epigenetic profiles that are initially established in utero and postnatal environmental exposures contribute to later-life breast cancer incidence. Intervention on environmental factors such as diets during these sensitive periods provides excellent opportunities to re-program epigenetic profiles leading to cancer prevention. The bioactive dietary compound, genistein (GE) enriched in soybean products such as soymilk, soy protein and tofu, has been widely accepted as a potent anticancer reagent through regulation of epigenetic mechanisms. Our pilot study indicates that maternal dietary GE exposure effectively prevents later-life breast cancer development through epigenetic reprogramming in transgenic breast cancer mouse models. More importantly, we found that maternal GE significantly inhibited a postnatal overnutrition stimulus such as high-fat diet (HFD)-induced breast cancer promotion and metabolic disorders in mouse offspring. Diets with high saturated fat such as the Western diet and its related obesity are considered major risk factors for breast cancer. Importantly, we found that maternal dietary GE reversed HFD-induced lipid panel abnormalities, reduced obesity-related biomarkers and influences gut microbiome profiles through epigenetic regulations. Overnutrition-induced metabolic disorders such as overweight and obesity are a global epidemic that impair human life quality and increases risk of development of many human diseases including breast cancer. Elucidation of the key mechanisms and interactions between nutrition stress and breast cancer and exploration of a novel in utero preventive strategy through natural bioactive products will have global impact. Citation Format: Yuanyuan Li, Min Chen, Trygve Tollefsbol. The epigenetic influence of maternal diet on prevention of high-fat diet induced obesity and breast cancer in later life [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2440.