Background Lack of dietary fiber has been suggested to increase the risk of developing various chronic inflammatory diseases, while supplementation of diets with fiber might offer an array of health promoting benefits. Consistent with this theme, we recently reported that, in mice, compositionally defined diets (CDD) that are made with purified ingredients and lack fermentable fiber promote low-grade inflammation and metabolic syndrome, both of which could be ameliorated by supplementation of such diets with the fermentable fiber inulin. Methods Herein, we examined if, relative to a grain-based mouse diet (chow), CDD consumption would impact development of intestinal inflammation induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and, moreover, whether DSS-induced colitis might also be attenuated by diets supplemented with inulin. Results Analogous to their promotion of low-grade inflammation, CDD of high- and low-fat content with cellulose increased the severity of DSS-induced colitis relative to chow. However, in contrast to the case of low-grade inflammation, addition of inulin, but not the insoluble fiber cellulose, further exacerbated the severity of colitis and its associated clinical manifestations (weight loss and bleeding) in both low and high fat diets. Conclusions While inulin, and perhaps other fermentable fibers, can ameliorate low-grade inflammation and associated metabolic disease, it also has the potential to exacerbate disease severity in response to inducers of acute colitis.

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