Defatted flaxseed meal prevents the appearance of aberrant crypt foci in the colon of mice increasing the gene expression of p53.

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The goal of this study was to investigate the preventive effects of defatted flaxseed meal on the appearance of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in mice treated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). ACF were induced by intraperitoneal administration of 20 mg/kg body weight of DMH for 8 weeks. The animals were divided into three treatments (n=8): AIN93M diet without fibers + DMH (C-); AIN93M diet with defatted flaxseed meal (LIN); and AIN93M diet with defatted flaxseed meal + DMH (LINCA), for 15 weeks. The technique RT-PCR was used to evaluate the expression of p16, p21, p53, cyclin D1, and cyclin E in the distal colon. In addition, flow cytometric analysis of CD4 and CD8 spleen cells, the quantification of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in stool, the quantification of Bifidobacterium spp., Clostridium spp. in feces. LIN and LINCA showed increased Bifidobacterium spp. compared with control (C-). In relation to the weight of the organs, the groups LIN and LINCA showed higher values for the liver and kidney compared with control (C-). Regarding ACF, the group LINCA presented fewer ACF in the middle and distal colon compared with control (C-). When we analyzed ACF with more than three crypts the group LIN and LINCA did not present ACF in the middle and distal segments. LINCA presented increased p53 gene expression. This finding suggests that defatted flaxseed meal reduces ACF by increasing the expression of p53 and increase Bifidobacterium spp.