Effects of dietary fat and a vegetable-fruit mixture on the development of intestinal neoplasia in the ApcMin mouse.
The variation in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence worldwide strongly suggests a role for dietary influences. Based on epidemiological data, protective effects of vegetables and fruit intake on CRC are widely claimed, while other data indicate a possible increased CRC risk from (higher) dietary fat intake. Therefore, we have investigated single and interactive effects of dietary fat and a vegetable-fruit mixture (VFM) in the ApcMin mouse, a mouse model for multiple intestinal neoplasia. In this study, four different diets (A-D) were compared, which were either low in fat (20% energy diets A/B) or high in fat (40% energy diets C/D). In addition, 19.5% (wt/wt) of the carbohydrates in diets B and D were replaced by a freeze-dried VFM. The diets were balanced so that they only differed among each other in fat/carbohydrate content and the presence of specific plant-constituents. Because the initiation of intestinal tumors in ApcMin mice occurs relatively early in life, exposure to the diets was started in utero. Without the addition of VFM, mice maintained at a high-fat diet did not develop significantly higher numbers of small or large intestinal adenomas than mice maintained at a low-fat diet. VFM added to a low-fat diet significantly lowered multiplicity of small intestinal polyps (from 16.2 to 10.2/mouse, 15 animals/group), but not of colon tumors in male ApcMin mice only. Strikingly, addition of VFM to female mice maintained on a low-fat diet and to both sexes maintained on a high-fat diet significantly enhanced intestinal polyp multiplicity (from 16.5 to 26.7 polyps/mouse). In conclusion, our results indicate that neither a lower fat intake nor consumption of VFM included in a high-fat diet decreases the development of polyps in mice genetically predisposed to intestinal tumor development.
van Kranen
H J
HJ
Laboratory of Health Effects Research, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. henk.van.kranen@rivm.nl
van Iersel
P W
PW
Rijnkels
J M
JM
Beems
D B
DB
Alink
G M
GM
van Kreijl
C F
CF
D000236:Adenoma / Q000517:prevention & control; D000818:Animals; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007417:Intestinal Polyps / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014675:Vegetables
D004041:Dietary Fats