Microarray analysis of diet-induced alterations in gene expression in the ACI rat prostate

The natural history of prostate cancer is a multistage process that involves the transition from normal tissue to subclinical cancer, with progression to carcinoma in situ and eventually metastatic disease. Evidence suggests that a high-fat diet plays a critical role in the biology and progression of the disease. ACI rats were maintained for two generations on high beef fat or control diets for 18 months. Affymetrix microarrays were used to analyze the mRNA expression levels in the dorsolateral prostates of rats on the different diets. Approximately 4752 genes and expressed sequence tag (EST) were expressed in the prostates of rats on either diet. Twenty-seven genes were upregulated and 28 genes downregulated in the high beef fat diet. Data analysis indicated that a high beef fat diet affects the expression of genes involved in inflammation, glucose and fatty acid metabolism, androgen metabolism, potential tumor suppression and protein kinase activity, as well as intracellular and extracellular matrix molecules, growth factors and androgen responsive genes. Results from these and future studies will lead to a better understanding of the effect of diet on gene expression in the prostate and facilitate the rational design and assessment of potential dietary programs for prostate cancer prevention.