Obesity Predicts Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is an age-related disease traditionally seen in populations over the age of 50. In recent years, colorectal cancer has become more prevalent in younger individuals, and obesity is thought to be a major risk factor. Since DNA methylation changes have been noted to occur in both colorectal cancer and obesity. A high-fat diet in mice to investigate whether obesity drives changes in DNA methylation that could lead to gene expression changes and increase the risk for colorectal cancer.

Researchers determined that the weight loss could reverse obesity-related changes in gene expression and thereby reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. The study found that obesity-related differences in gene expression overlap with colorectal cancer-related gene expression changes. The obesity-related DNA methylation alterations the regulations of genes related to metabolism and cellular proliferation correspond with transcriptional changes seen in colon tumorigenesis,with a low-fat diet, the cells of the colonic epithelium favor short-chain fatty acids as an energy source.When mice are put on a high-fat diet, the colonic epithelium begins to decrease the expression of genes related to short-chain fatty acid metabolism, such as Acyl-CoA synthetases and Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase.  So the use of long-chain fatty acids as a main energy source in the colonic epithelium can increase the risk for cancer by promoting stem cell functions.

Epigenetics and gene expression changes in metabolism and cellular production brought on by obesity would continue after weight loss.The short-term weight loss might not lower the risk of colorectal cancer related to a high-fat diet.So the author’s comes about too appear that losing weight is required to decrease the chance of colorectal cancer.