Soluble Fibers and Resistant Starch Ameliorate Disease Activity in Interleukin-10-deficient Mice with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Our goal in this study was to determine the potential for dietary fibers to prevent gut inflammation in IL-10-deficient (IL-10(-/-)) mice. C57BL/6J wild-type (WT) mice (n = 90) and IL-10(-/-) mice (n = 185) were assigned to a control diet or diets supplemented with PROMITOR soluble corn fiber (SCF), STA-LITE III polydextrose (PDX), Biogum (BG), Pullulan (PI-20), PROMITOR resistant starch-75 (RS-75), SCF&BG, RS-75&BG, and inulin (4 g fiber/100 g diet). On d 47, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon were macroscopically and histologically evaluated. The spleen and Peyer's patches (PP) were collected for isolating mononuclear cells and measuring the percentages of regulatory T cells (Treg) and cytokines produced by CD4(+) T cells (i.e. IFNγ and IL-10). Dietary supplementation with RS-75, SCF, RS-75&BG, and inulin ameliorated disease activity on d 47. Dietary RS-75 and inulin supplementation decreased ileal and colonic inflammatory lesions. RS-75, SCF, and inulin decreased IFNγ production by effector CD4(+) T cells from PP and RS-75 increased the IL-10-expressing cells in spleen of WT mice. Dietary SCF, PDX, BG, PI-20, and RS-75 upregulated colonic PPARγ expression in WT mice and SCF upregulated Supressor of cytokine signaling 3 in IL-10(-/-) mice. These data suggest that soluble fibers and resistant starch influence Treg cells, IFNγ, and colonic PPARγ expression to suppress gut inflammation.