Tess Armbrust; Canyon Neal; Ashli Hunter; Forest Eddy; Sumira Phatak; Korry Hintze, Utah State University
Tess Armbrust1, Canyon Neal1, Ashli Hunter1, Forest Eddy1, Sumira Phatak1, Korry Hintze2,3, Abby Benninghoff1,3 1Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT; 2Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences; 3USTAR Applied Nutrition Research, Utah State University, Logan, UT Americans with leaky gut, or increased intestinal permeability, often develop chronic inflammation of the colon, which is considered a key driver in the development of diseases such as colorectal cancer (CRC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (IBA1), and paired box 5 protein (PAX5) are contributors to this inflammation. Consumption of a poor diet, high in processed foods and low in fruits and vegetables, is another notable risk factor for CRC. Diet modification with functional foods containing health-promoting bioactive components or key micronutrients represents a safe and cost-effective strategy to decrease the incidence of cancer and/or delay the onset of the disease. Previously, our group assessed the impact of several dietary interventions in a mouse model of inflammation-associated CRC which included supplementation with black raspberries. The objective of the present work is to examine the impact of these dietary interventions, specifically black raspberries, on expression of TNF, IBA1, and PAX5 as molecular biomarkers of gut inflammation. The hypothesis to be tested in this study is that supplementation of a Western type diet with black raspberries will suppress expression of these biomarkers. Colon tissues were obtained from the aforementioned studies and processed for histopathology assessment. These tissues will be subject to immunohistochemistry for detection of TNF, IBA1, and PAX5. Preliminary results of this ongoing work will be presented for the first time at this symposium.