title: Soluble Dietary Fiber Ameliorates Radiation-Induced Intestinal Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Fibrosis.
abstract: Intestinal fibrosis is a late complication of pelvic radiotherapy. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in tissue fibrosis. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of soluble dietary fiber on radiation-induced intestinal EMT and fibrosis in a mouse model.
  
  
  
  Apple pectin (4% wt/wt in drinking water) was administered to wild-type and pVillin-Cre-EGFP transgenic mice with intestinal fibrosis induced by a single dose of abdominal irradiation of 10 Gy. The effects of pectin on intestinal EMT and fibrosis, gut microbiota, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration were evaluated.
  
  
  
  Intestinal fibrosis in late radiation enteropathy showed increased submucosal thickness and subepithelial collagen deposition. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)+/vimentin+and EGFP+/α-smooth muscle actin (SMA)+coexpressing cells were most clearly observed at 2 weeks after irradiation and gradually decreased at 4 and 12 weeks. Pectin significantly attenuated the thickness of submucosa and collagen deposition at 12 weeks (24.3 vs 27.6 µm in the pectin + radiation-treated group compared with radiation-alone group, respectively, P < .05; 69.0% vs 57.1%, P < .001) and ameliorated EMT at 2 and 4 weeks. Pectin also modulated the intestinal microbiota composition and increased the luminal SCFA concentration.
  
  
  
  The soluble dietary fiber pectin protected the terminal ileum against radiation-induced fibrosis. This effect might be mediated by altered SCFA concentration in the intestinal lumen and reduced EMT in the ileal epithelium.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Jianbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Xujie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Tengfei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Tingbing
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Southern Medical University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Tenghui
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, PR China.|2 Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Southern Medical University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Jianfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Weiming
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Jieshou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000378:metabolism; D005355:Fibrosis; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000187:drug effects; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D027845:Malus / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010368:Pectins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D010368:Pectins
keywords: epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; intestinal fibrosis; radiation; soluble dietary fiber