Phytic acid improves intestinal mucosal barrier damage and reduces serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines in a 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced rat colorectal cancer model

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 120; no. 2; pp. 121 - 130
• Main Authors: Liu, Cuiping, Chen, Chen, Yang, Fuguo, Li, Xin, Cheng, Lixue, Song, Yang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Cambridge University Press 28.07.2018
• Subjects: 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine; Acclimatization; Acids; Body weight; Cancer; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal carcinoma; Cytokines; Diet; Dimethylhydrazines; Dosage; E-cadherin; Gene expression; Hypotheses; Inflammation; Interleukin 6; Intestine; Medical research; mRNA; Mucin; Mucosa; Multivariate analysis; Nutrition research; Phytic acid; Proteins; Rats; Rodents; Serum levels; Small intestine; Trefoil factor; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Tumorigenesis; Tumors; D-LA D-lactate; 2-dimethylhydrazine; CRC colorectal cancer; MUC2 mucin 2; Colorectal cancer; MG model group; Phytic acid; Intestinal mucosal barrier; DMH 1; CG control group; LPS lipopolysaccharide; PA phytic acid; LPG low-phytic acid-dose group; MPG middle-phytic acid-dose group; Proinflammatory cytokines; HPG high-phytic acid-dose group; TFF3 trefoil factor 3
• DOI: 10.1017/s0007114518001290
• ISSN: 0007-1145

Phytic acid (PA) has been demonstrated to have a potent anticarcinogenic activity against colorectal cancer (CRC). Defects of the intestinal mucosal barrier and inflammation processes are involved in the development and progression of CRC. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of PA on the intestinal mucosal barrier and proinflammatory cytokines. After a 1-week acclimatisation period, sixty Wistar male rats were divided into the following five groups, with twelve rats per group: the control group (CG), model group (MG), low-PA-dose group (0·25 g/kg per d), middle-PA-dose group (0·5 g/kg per d), and high-PA-dose group (1 g/kg per d). 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine (DMH) at a dosage of 30 mg/kg of body weight was injected weekly to induce CRC for 18 weeks. We examined the expression of genes related to the intestinal mucosal barrier in the model. The results demonstrated that tumour incidence was decreased following PA treatment. The mRNA and protein expression of mucin 2 (MUC2), trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) and E-cadherin in the MG were significantly lower than those in the CG (P<0·05). The mRNA and protein expression of claudin-1 in the MG were significantly higher than those in the CG (P<0·05). PA elevated the mRNA and protein expression of MUC2, TFF3 and E-cadherin, and diminished the mRNA and protein expression of claudin-1. Furthermore, PA decreased serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines, which included TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. In conclusion, this study suggests that PA has favourable effects on the intestinal mucosal barrier and may reduce serum proinflammatory cytokine levels.