Dietary intakes and tissue concentrations of polyamines in a colon cancer chemoprevention clinical trial.

B146

Reducing the concentration of polyamines (spermine, spermidine and putrescine) in the body pool may slow the cancer process. Because dietary spermine, spermidine and putrescine contribute to the body pool of polyamines, quantifying them in the diet is important. Limited information about polyamine content of food is available, especially for the US diet. To estimate polyamine intake, a polyamine database linked to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was developed. Baseline measures were taken from 89 adult men (n= 56) and women (n=33) aged 40-80 years who are participating in an ongoing clinical trial examining the effect of the polyamine synthesis inhibitor, difluoro-methylornithine (DFMO), on adenoma recurrence and relevant biomarkers. Estimated daily dietary intakes from the FFQ in this sample are: 163,789(91,722) (mean[SD]) nmol putrescine, 55,539(24,870) nmol spermidine, 29,847(14,548) nmol spermine, 249,176(111,369) nmol/day total polyamines, 825(416) mg calcium, 16(7) g fiber, and 35(9) percent energy from fat. Colorectal mucosal tissue polyamine concentrations in these study participants were quantified, and these concentrations averaged 0.706(0.499) nmol/mgp putresine, 2.615(1.286) nmol/mgp spermidine, 8.243(3.820) nmol/mgp spermine, 11.564(5.338) nmol/mgp total polyamines. Further analysis will determine genetic and other determinants of tissue polyamine concentration and the relationship with estimated dietary intakes.