Folate: a magic bullet or a double edged sword for colorectal cancer prevention?

摘要: Low folate status might inhibit colorectal carcinogenesis and high may promote carcinogenesis, contradicting findings from epidemiological studies showing an inverse relationship between risk of cancer Folate is a water soluble B vitamin, deficiency which appears to play important pathogenetic role in the development anaemia, atherosclerosis, neural tube defects (NTDs), adverse pregnancy outcomes, neuropsychiatric disorders, cancer.1 Folic acid fully oxidised monoglutamyl form this vitamin that used commercially supplements fortified foods. Folate generally regarded as safe has long been presumed be purely beneficial ideal functional food component for disease prevention.2,3 For example, overwhelming body evidence protective effect periconceptional folic supplementation against NTDs led mandatory fortification USA Canada 1998.4 The effectiveness improving already shown quite striking, with dramatic increase blood measurements concentrations Canada.4 Preliminary reports also suggest significant reduction (∼15–50%) incidence Canada.4 Perhaps one most speculative provocative new medical applications nutrition potential cancer preventive agent.1,5 concept enhances, whereas reduces, neoplastic transformation counterintuitive contradictory our conventional understanding biochemistry. essential cofactor de novo biosynthesis purines thymidylate, plays DNA synthesis replication.5,6 Consequently, tissues rapidly replicating cells results ineffective synthesis. In where …