Construction of model animals to explore intestinal microbiome for detection of breast cancer

PLoS One. 2023 May 17;18(5):e0280971. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280971. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Breast cancer ranks first among female cancers and has become a major public health problem in the current society. More studies indicated that these cancers are related to the change in the gut microbiome that can cause metabolic and immune system disorders in the body. However, there are few studies on the changes in gut microbiome caused by the onset of breast cancer, and the relationship between breast cancer and gut microbiome needs to be further clarified. In this study, we inoculated 4T1 breast cancer cells to induce breast cancer tumorigenesis in mice and collected their feces samples at different stages during this process. These intestinal florae were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and the results showed that at the phylum level, the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes decreased with the development of the tumor; at the family level, the intestinal microbiome had obvious variations of Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroidaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, etc. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and COG annotation demonstrated that decreased abundance of cancer-related signaling pathways. This study elucidated the relationship between breast cancer and intestinal microbiome, and the research results can be used as an important biomarker for the diagnosis of breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteroidetes / genetics
  • Carcinogenesis
  • Feces
  • Female
  • Firmicutes / genetics
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome* / genetics
  • Mice
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics

Substances

  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from the Applied Basic Research Programs of Science and Technology Commission Foundation of Guangdong Province (No. 2022A1515012602) and Foundation of Guangdong Educational Committee for Youths (No. 2019KQNCX150). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.