0041 Fructose Consumption is Related to DNA Damage in Night Shift Workers

Abstract Introduction Evidence suggests that high-sugar diets are linked to increased genomic instability. Further, circadian disturbance can also lead to increased genotoxicity—and subsequent cancer risk—but the influence of a high sugar diet on this observation is poorly understood. By understanding the association between high-sugar diets, genotoxicity, and circadian disturbance, we hope to identify dietary predictors of increased cancer risk. Here, we evaluate the association between shift work status, the consumption of sugars, and DNA damage in immune cells. Methods 30 shift workers (15 night shift (NS); 15 day shift (DS); aged 30-55; 16 females) completed a combined field/laboratory study including 24-hours of continuous wakefulness, hourly isocaloric snacks, and blood draws every 6 hours from which peripheral mononuclear blood cells (PBMCs) were isolated. An alkaline comet assay (CometChip, Cell Array) was used to quantify DNA damage in 1153−4738 PBMCs using scoring software (CometScore, Trevigan), providing total percentage of damaged DNA compared to undamaged DNA. Prior to entering the laboratory, participants completed the General Food Frequency Questionnaire (FHQ) as a metric of past-month food consumption. Total sugar, fructose, carbohydrates, and starch consumption were extracted from the FHQs. Results T-tests revealed no significant differences between DS and NS workers for DNA damage(t(27)=–0.59,p=0.56) or the consumption of carbohydrates, total sugar, glucose, or fructose (t(27)< 1.36,p>0.18). In NS, Pearson correlations revealed a significant, moderate positive relationship between DNA damage and fructose (r=0.55,p=0.04), and non-significant relationships between DNA damage and other food metrics (r< 0.52,p>0.06). For DS, no significant relationships between DNA damage and each food metric were found (r< 0.49,p>0.06). Conclusion We sought to understand how diet contributes to DNA damage in PBMCs and identify how dietary factors are related to genomic instability in shift workers. Our findings align with existing literature, showing a relationship between high intake of fructose and DNA damage. However, this was only the case for night workers, suggesting a potential mechanistic link between diet and cancer risk in this population. Further research is needed to evaluate the utility of these dietary factors as predictors for DNA damage in shift work populations. Support (if any) BCS:Andy Hill CARE Fund,Health Sciences and Services Authority of Spokane County; SG:NIH award R01ES030113