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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Little Rock, Arkansas » Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #218261
Title: Blueberry consumption inhibits gastrointestinal tumorigenesis in AOM-treated rats

Author
item SIMMEN, FRANK - ACNC/UAMS
item XIAO, RIJIN - ACNC/UAMS
item WU, XIANLI - ACNC/UAMS
item PRIOR, RONALD

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/31/2008
Publication Date: 4/9/2008
Citation: Simmen, F.A., Xiao, R., Wu, X., Prior, R.L. 2008. Blueberry consumption inhibits gastrointestinal tumorigenesis in AOM-treated rats [abstract]. The FASEB Journal. 22:887.6.

Interpretive Summary: We studied the effects of feeding freeze-dried blueberries on colon and small intestine cancers in rats given a chemical to induce such tumors. Our results suggest that blueberry has the ability to partially inhibit intestine cancer development in this animal model of human colon cancer and that this effect is most apparent in the male rats. Overall, there is enough evidence from this work to warrant further study of this fruit for potential beneficial effects on cancer prevention in human diets.

Technical Abstract: Epidemiological studies show inverse or no association of fruit consumption with relative risk for colorectal cancers. Such studies did not examine specific fruits and in particular, those enriched in polyphenols with high antioxidant capacities. We examined blueberry (BB), a fruit rich in anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, for effects on gastrointestinal cancers in AOM-treated Sprague-Dawley rats. AIN93G diets containing no or 10% freeze-dried BB were fed to rats over their lifetime. Rats received AOM at days 53 and 60 of age, with colon aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and gastrointestinal tumors quantified 6 and 17 weeks later, respectively. BB decreased ACF (by 24%, P=0.093) in males and increased ACF (31%, P=0.064) in females. Tumor incidence was reduced by BB in mid colon and proximal small intestine of male rats, resulting in a lower (26%, P=0.081) overall intestinal tumor incidence. In all intestine regions, female rats had reduced tumor incidence (about 70%, P<0.001) relative to control males, with no effects of BB manifested. Females had more adenomas (as a proportion of total tumor number) than did males. BB favored (P<0.05) greater adenoma/total tumor ratio in females. Results indicate inhibitory effects of BB on tumor initiation in AOM-treated male rats and adenoma to adenocarcinoma transition in female rats, thus warranting further studies of BB on colorectal cancer.