Class
Article
College
College of Science
Department
English Department
Faculty Mentor
Abby Benninghoff
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide and has increased incidence in developed countries. There is a close link between CRC and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A main symptom of IBD is colitis, which is inflammation of the colon. Diet plays a key role in the development of CRC, specifically a Western-type diet, which is characterized by energy dense and nutrient deficient foods. This dietary pattern is associated with both increased inflammation and dysbiosis of the gut microbiome, two factors that contribute to the development of CRC. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that is known for its role in brain development, but also has anti-inflammatory properties that make it a potential dietary intervention to reduce CRC risk. DHA specifically contributes to a healthy microbiome by increasing diversity, abundance of beneficial bacteria, and by balancing the ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes.DHA decreases inflammation by decreasing the amount of proinflammatory molecules in the gut while also producing anti-inflammatory metabolites such as resolvin and short-chain fatty acids. Additionally, DHA promotes intestinal barrier integrity, which protects against inflammation. Based on these effects, our research group plans to study the effect that DHA has on the risk of developing colitis-associated CRC this coming summer. The goal of this study willbe to determine the effect of both basal diet and DHA supplementation on colon inflammation, mucosal injury, and microbiome profile before, during, and after colitis. Our study model will include a standard mouse diet as the control diet, and the Total Western Diet as our experimental diet, which has been shown to promote the development of CRC. Mice will be dosed with a carcinogen and given an irritant in their water to promote this disease. Colon and fecal samples will be taken at the aforementioned timepoints. We expect measures of inflammation and gut injury to be increased in animals fed a Western-type diet, and for these measures to be decreased when the diet is supplemented with DHA. Additionally, we expect microbiota profiles to be differentiated between the AIN and Western diet, with DHA restoring the microbiota profile to be comparable with that of the AIN control diet.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-7-2022 12:00 AM
Included in
Docosahexaenoic Acid May Reduce Risk Factors of Cancer Development in a Mouse Model of Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer
Logan, UT
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide and has increased incidence in developed countries. There is a close link between CRC and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A main symptom of IBD is colitis, which is inflammation of the colon. Diet plays a key role in the development of CRC, specifically a Western-type diet, which is characterized by energy dense and nutrient deficient foods. This dietary pattern is associated with both increased inflammation and dysbiosis of the gut microbiome, two factors that contribute to the development of CRC. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that is known for its role in brain development, but also has anti-inflammatory properties that make it a potential dietary intervention to reduce CRC risk. DHA specifically contributes to a healthy microbiome by increasing diversity, abundance of beneficial bacteria, and by balancing the ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes.DHA decreases inflammation by decreasing the amount of proinflammatory molecules in the gut while also producing anti-inflammatory metabolites such as resolvin and short-chain fatty acids. Additionally, DHA promotes intestinal barrier integrity, which protects against inflammation. Based on these effects, our research group plans to study the effect that DHA has on the risk of developing colitis-associated CRC this coming summer. The goal of this study willbe to determine the effect of both basal diet and DHA supplementation on colon inflammation, mucosal injury, and microbiome profile before, during, and after colitis. Our study model will include a standard mouse diet as the control diet, and the Total Western Diet as our experimental diet, which has been shown to promote the development of CRC. Mice will be dosed with a carcinogen and given an irritant in their water to promote this disease. Colon and fecal samples will be taken at the aforementioned timepoints. We expect measures of inflammation and gut injury to be increased in animals fed a Western-type diet, and for these measures to be decreased when the diet is supplemented with DHA. Additionally, we expect microbiota profiles to be differentiated between the AIN and Western diet, with DHA restoring the microbiota profile to be comparable with that of the AIN control diet.