Basal metabolic rate shapes the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Background Among several cancer risk factors, the variation in basal metabolism rate (BMR), which constitutes up to 70% of total energy expenditures in humans, may be causally linked with neoplasm development. As BMR reflects the mass of metabolically active organs, being the function of ce...

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Main Authors: Sebastian Maciak, Diana Sawicka, Irena Kasacka, Lech Chyczewski, Halina Car, Marek Konarzewski
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:BMC Cancer
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-14491-4
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author Sebastian Maciak
Diana Sawicka
Irena Kasacka
Lech Chyczewski
Halina Car
Marek Konarzewski
author_facet Sebastian Maciak
Diana Sawicka
Irena Kasacka
Lech Chyczewski
Halina Car
Marek Konarzewski
author_sort Sebastian Maciak
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Among several cancer risk factors, the variation in basal metabolism rate (BMR), which constitutes up to 70% of total energy expenditures in humans, may be causally linked with neoplasm development. As BMR reflects the mass of metabolically active organs, being the function of cell size and/or cell number, it may serve as a critical metabolic proxy of cancer susceptibility in the context of cell growth and cell size. Methods We examined the progression and rate of development of chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma, using lines of mice divergently selected for high or low BMR and differing with respect to both the size of metabolically active organs and their cellular architecture. Results The high BMR mouse line developed hepatocellular carcinoma much faster and with a higher progression rate, accompanied by a considerable increase in liver size and hepatocyte enlargement, as compared to the low BMR mouse line. The HBMR mice also manifested an increased expression of metabolism- and cell size-related genes (mTOR, PI3K, c-myc, but not IGF-1), with a simultaneous decrease in the activity of tumor suppressors (p-53, APC) at the beginning of cancerogenic processes, promoting further neoplasm expansion.  Conclusion Presented results suggest that genetically determined high BMR may additionally burden liver cells via changes in the action of specific genes, leading to higher tumorigenesis.
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publishDate 2025-07-01
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series BMC Cancer
spelling doaj-art-2e7c91ee61a545f9b0be6b0119eaec402025-08-20T03:38:14ZengBMCBMC Cancer1471-24072025-07-0125111510.1186/s12885-025-14491-4Basal metabolic rate shapes the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinomaSebastian Maciak0Diana Sawicka1Irena Kasacka2Lech Chyczewski3Halina Car4Marek Konarzewski5Department of Evolutionary and Physiological Ecology, University of BialystokDepartment of Experimental Pharmacology, Medical University of BialystokDepartment of Histology and Cytophysiology, Medical University of BialystokUniversity of Medical Sciences in BialystokDepartment of Experimental Pharmacology, Medical University of BialystokDepartment of Evolutionary and Physiological Ecology, University of BialystokAbstract Background Among several cancer risk factors, the variation in basal metabolism rate (BMR), which constitutes up to 70% of total energy expenditures in humans, may be causally linked with neoplasm development. As BMR reflects the mass of metabolically active organs, being the function of cell size and/or cell number, it may serve as a critical metabolic proxy of cancer susceptibility in the context of cell growth and cell size. Methods We examined the progression and rate of development of chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma, using lines of mice divergently selected for high or low BMR and differing with respect to both the size of metabolically active organs and their cellular architecture. Results The high BMR mouse line developed hepatocellular carcinoma much faster and with a higher progression rate, accompanied by a considerable increase in liver size and hepatocyte enlargement, as compared to the low BMR mouse line. The HBMR mice also manifested an increased expression of metabolism- and cell size-related genes (mTOR, PI3K, c-myc, but not IGF-1), with a simultaneous decrease in the activity of tumor suppressors (p-53, APC) at the beginning of cancerogenic processes, promoting further neoplasm expansion.  Conclusion Presented results suggest that genetically determined high BMR may additionally burden liver cells via changes in the action of specific genes, leading to higher tumorigenesis.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-14491-4BMRMetabolismCell sizeMTORHepatocellular carcinoma
spellingShingle Sebastian Maciak
Diana Sawicka
Irena Kasacka
Lech Chyczewski
Halina Car
Marek Konarzewski
Basal metabolic rate shapes the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma
BMC Cancer
BMR
Metabolism
Cell size
MTOR
Hepatocellular carcinoma
title Basal metabolic rate shapes the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma
title_full Basal metabolic rate shapes the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma
title_fullStr Basal metabolic rate shapes the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma
title_full_unstemmed Basal metabolic rate shapes the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma
title_short Basal metabolic rate shapes the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma
title_sort basal metabolic rate shapes the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma
topic BMR
Metabolism
Cell size
MTOR
Hepatocellular carcinoma
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-14491-4
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AT lechchyczewski basalmetabolicrateshapesthedevelopmentandprogressionofhepatocellularcarcinoma
AT halinacar basalmetabolicrateshapesthedevelopmentandprogressionofhepatocellularcarcinoma
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