Effect of dietary fiber on colonic cell proliferation and its relationship to colon carcinogenesis

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The addition of specific fiber supplements to semipurified diets has been shown to stimulate large bowel cell proliferation in laboratory rodents. Relatively insoluble fibers such as cellulose, which is poorly fermented, the more-soluble oat bran, and inert bulking agents such as kaolin produce little or no effect on cell growth. On the other hand, wheat bran, pectin, guar gum, and degraded carageenan all stimulate large bowel cell proliferation, the greatest growth response tending to occur in the cecum or proximal colon. The proximal large bowel is also the major site for the intestinal fermentation of dietary fiber and any other nonabsorbed carbohydrates. The fermentation of fiber by colonic microorganisms results in the production of short-chain fatty acids and a lower pH of large bowel contents, metabolic events known to be associated with increased epithelial cell growth. In general, factors that stimulate cell growth also enhance tumor development, a concept that holds true in the colon even for dietary fibers such as pectin and guar gum. Wheat bran can also stimulate colon carcinogenesis when fed only during carcinogen exposure. Oat bran and corn bran may stimulate colon carcinogenesis by increasing fecal bile acid excretion, a feature of many soluble fibers, while the acidification of large bowel contents is associated with an increased frequency of chemically induced colonic cancers. A greater understanding of colonic metabolism and cell physiology is needed to define fully the mechanisms by which dietary fibers modify colon cancer development.