Western-style high fat, high
sugar diets are associated with
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (
NAFLD) and increased
liver cancer risk.
Sulforaphane from broccoli may protect against these. Previously we initiated broccoli feeding to mice prior to exposure to the hepatocarcinogen
diethylnitrosamine (DEN), and saw protection against
NAFLD and
liver cancer. Here we administered DEN to unweaned mice, initiating broccoli feeding two weeks later, to determine if broccoli protects against
cancer progression. Specifically, male 15-day-old C57BL/6J mice were given DEN and placed on a Western or Western+10%Broccoli diet from the age of 4 weeks through 7 months. Dietary broccoli decreased hepatic
triacylglycerols,
NAFLD, liver damage and tumour
necrosis factor by month 5 without changing
body weight or relative liver weight, but did not slow
carcinogenesis, seen in 100% of mice. We conclude that broccoli, a good source of
sulforaphane, slows progression of hepatic
lipidosis, but not tumourigenesis in this robust model.