title: Retinoids and alcohol-related carcinogenesis.
abstract: Chronic and excessive alcohol intake is associated with an increased incidence of a variety of cancers (e.g., liver, oral cavity, esophagus, colorectal and breast). Long-term alcohol intake results in impaired nutritional status of retinoic acid (RA), the most active derivative of vitamin A, which may provide a promoting environment for tumor formation. Recent studies demonstrate that chronic alcohol-induced hepatocellular proliferation, which may convert hepatocytes from a state of resistance to a carcinogen to a state of high susceptibility, is due to alcohol-impaired RA metabolism and signaling and crosstalk with the Jun N-terminal kinases-dependent signaling pathway. Further, the restoration of hepatic RA homeostasis by treatment with either RA supplementation or inhibitors of RA catabolism can suppress alcohol-induced hepatocyte hyperproliferation and restore alcohol-deregulated apoptosis, thereby reducing the risk of alcohol-promoted hepatocellular carcinogenesis. These studies indicate the importance of RA actions in the prevention and/or treatment of alcohol-related carcinogenic process in the liver and other organs.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Cancer Biology Laboratory, Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA. xwang@hnrc.tufts.edu
authors.forename: Xiang-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D012176:Retinoids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D012176:Retinoids