3,3'-diindolylmethane attenuates colonic inflammation and tumorigenesis in mice.
BACKGROUND
3,3-Diindolylmethane (DIM) is a major in vivo product of acid-catalyzed oligomerization of indole-3-carbinol (I3C) derived from Brassica food plants. Although DIM is known as a chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic phytochemical, the effects of DIM on inflammation in vivo are still unknown. In the present study we investigated the antiinflammatory effects of DIM on experimental colitis and colitis-associated colorectal carcinogenesis.


METHODS
To determine if DIM has an antiinflammatory effect in vivo, we examined the therapeutic effects of DIM in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced experimental colitis and colitis-associated colon carcinogenesis induced by azoxymethane (AOM)/DSS in BALB/c mice.


RESULTS
Treatment with DIM significantly attenuated loss of body weight, shortening of the colon, and severe clinical signs in a colitis model. This was associated with a remarkable amelioration of the disruption of the colonic architecture and a significant reduction in colonic myeloperoxidase activity and production of prostaglandin E(2), nitric oxide, and proinflammatory cytokines. Further, DIM administration dramatically decreased the number of colon tumors in AOM/DSS mice.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that DIM-mediated antiinflammatory action at colorectal sites may be therapeutic in the setting of inflammatory bowel disease and colitis-associated colon cancer.
Kim
Yoon Hee
YH
Center for Efficacy Assessment and Development of Functional Foods and Drugs, Hallym University, Chuncheon, South Korea.
Kwon
Hyuck-Se
HS
Kim
Dae Hwan
DH
Shin
Eun Kyung
EK
Kang
Young-Hee
YH
Park
Jung Han Yoon
JH
Shin
Hyun-Kyung
HK
Kim
Jin-Kyung
JK