Dietary lignan intake and androgen receptor expression in breast tumors

Abstract

Purpose Lignans, a class of phytoestrogen commonly found in the Western diet, have been linked to decreased breast cancer risks in epidemiologic studies. Similar to estrogen receptors, the androgen receptor (AR), a prognostic factor in breast tumors, may be affected by lignans. However, few studies have investigated this link in the context of breast cancer etiology. We evaluated the relationship between dietary lignan intake and androgen receptor expression in incident breast tumors. Methods Tumor tissue, epidemiological, and clinical data were collected from 216 women with incident, primary, histologically-confirmed breast cancer enrolled in the Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) Data Bank and BioRepository (DBBR). On average, three tumor cores from each participant were assembled into a Tissue MicroArray (TMA). After immunohistochemical staining, a trained RPCI pathologist determined AR status of each core. Lignan intake was calculated from a food frequency questionnaire collected upon enrollment into the DBBR. Results We observed a weak positive association between dietary lignans and AR expression (β (SE) 27.6 (17.0), p 0.10) and there was no significant difference in lignan intake across categories of AR expression (p=0.09, R2 =0.35). Conclusion Our results do not support a clear relationship between dietary lignan intake and AR expression. This investigation is the first, to our knowledge, to examine dietary lignan intake and AR expression in breast tumors. Further research is needed within a larger, more representative sample to determine if lignan intake is truly associated with androgen receptor expression.

The What and Who of Dietary Lignans in Human Health: Special Attention to Estrogen Effects and Safety Evaluation

“…45 Similarly, legumes and vegetables contain lignans. 13,46 Brassica vegetables (cabbage, kale, collard greens) contain high levels of lignans (185−2321 μg/100 g), mainly in the form of PIN and LARI. 47 The content of lignans in fruits is not high.…”

“…90 In contrast to low levels of lignans, high levels of lignans might have an "antiestrogen"-like effect. 13 We have summarized the health effects of lignans and their metabolites END and ENL as estrogen as well as the safety of lignans at different times during the life course of an individual.…”

“…10,11 Dietary lignans have been extensively studied for their potential to improve health, with a particular focus on their phytoestrogen activity. 12,13 Lignans are structurally similar to endogenous estrogens and have both estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities, depending on the concentration of lignans. 14,15 The END and ENL may also interact with the activity of sex hormone-binding globulins (SHBG).…”

“…Dietary lignans have been extensively studied for their potential to improve health, with a particular focus on their phytoestrogen activity. , Lignans are structurally similar to endogenous estrogens and have both estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities, depending on the concentration of lignans. , The END and ENL may also interact with the activity of sex hormone-binding globulins (SHBG). , Some studies have reviewed the biological activities caused by the estrogenic effects of lignans and their impacts on signaling pathways, , including antiosteoporosis, antibreast, and antiprostate cancer effects. , Several studies have demonstrated that lignans can potentially enhance glucose tolerance and improve insulin sensitivity within the human body. , …”

Comparative Study on the Absorption and Metabolism of Pinoresinol and Pinoresinol‐4‐O‐β‐D‐Glucopyranoside in Mice

“…[12][13][14] The metabolites of lignans END and ENL have a structure similar to estrogen and exhibit beneficial effects in preventing estrogen-dependent diseases such as breast cancer, osteoporosis, and prostate cancer. [15][16][17][18] While studies have explored the digestion, absorption, and metabolism of lignans in the body, the specific role of the stomach in the absorption of lignans remains unclear. [19] Lignans exist partly in free form in plants and partly in the form of glycosides that bind to macromolecular compounds on plant cell walls.…”