title: Dietary red meat aggravates dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice whereas resistant starch attenuates inflammation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although a genetic component has been identified as a risk factor for developing inflammatory bowel disease, there is evidence that dietary factors also play a role in the development of this disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the effects of feeding a red meat diet with and without resistant starch (RS) to mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Colonic experimental colitis was induced in Balb/c mice using DSS. The severity of colitis was evaluated based on a disease activity index (based on bodyweight loss, stool consistency, rectal bleeding, and overall condition of the animal) and a histological score. Estimations were made of numbers of a range of different bacteria in the treatment pools of cecal digesta using quantitative real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consumption of a diet high in red meat increased DSS-induced colitis as evidenced by higher disease activity and histopathological scores. Addition of RS to the red meat diet exerted a beneficial effect in acute DSS-induced colitis. Subjective analysis of numbers of a range of bacterial targets suggest changes in the gut microbiota abundance were induced by red meat and RS treatments and these changes could contribute to the reported outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A dietary intake of red meat aggravates DSS-induced colitis whereas co-consumption of resistant starch reduces the severity of colitis.
authors.affiliation: Preventative Health National Research Flagship, CSIRO, and CSIRO Animal, Food and Health Sciences, Adelaide, SA, Australia, richard.leleu@csiro.au.
authors.forename: Richard K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Le Leu
authors.forename: Graeme P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Conlon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003106:Colon / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013213:Starch / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D013213:Starch; D016264:Dextran Sulfate