The azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) murine model is commonly used to study colitis-associated cancer. The human commensal bacterium, enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) secretes the Bacteroides fragilis toxin (BFT) which is necessary and sufficient to cause colitis. We report that BALB/c mice infected with WT-ETBF and administered three cycles of AOM/DSS developed numerous, large-sized polyps predominantly in the colorectal region. In addition, AOM/DSS-treated BALB/c mice orally inoculated with wild-type nontoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (WT-NTBF) overexpressing bft (rETBF) developed numerous polyps whereas mice infected with WT-NTBF overexpressing a biologically inactive bft (rNTBF) did not promote polyp formation. Unexpectedly, the combination of AOM+ETBF did not induce polyp formation whereas ETBF+DSS did induce polyp development in a subset of BALB/c mice. In conclusion, WT-ETBF promoted polyp development in AOM/DSS murine model with increased colitis in BALB/c mice. The model described herein provides an experimental platform for understanding ETBF-induced colonic tumorigenesis and studying colorectal cancer in wild-type mice.

Consumption of a Western-type diet has been linked to gut-microbiota-mediated colon inflammation that constitutes a risk factor for colorectal cancer. A high salt diet (HSD) exacerbates IL-17A-induced inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease and other autoimmune diseases. Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) is a gut commensal bacterium and reported to be a potent initiator of colitis via secretion of the Bacteroides fragilis toxin (BFT). BFT induces ectodomain cleavage of E-cadherin in colonic epithelial cells, consequently leading to cell rounding, epithelial barrier disruption, and the secretion of IL-8, which promotes tumorigenesis in mice via IL-17A-mediated inflammation. A HSD is characteristic of the Western-type diet and can exhibit inflammatory effects. However, a HSD induces effects in ETBF-induced colitis and tumorigenesis remain unknown. In this study, we investigated HSD effects in ETBF-colonized mice with azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced tumorigenesis as well as ETBF colitis mice. Unexpectedly, ETBF-infected mice fed a HSD exhibited decreased weight loss and splenomegaly and reduction of colon inflammation. The HSD significantly decreased the expression of IL-17A and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the colonic tissues of ETBF-infected mice. In addition, serum levels of IL-17A and nitric oxide (NO) were also diminished. However, HT29/C1 colonic epithelial cells treated with sodium chloride showed no changes in BFT-induced cellular rounding and IL-8 expression. Furthermore, HSD did not affect ETBF colonization in mice. In conclusion, HSD decreased ETBF-induced tumorigenesis through suppression of IL-17A and iNOS expression in the colon. HSD also inhibited colonic polyp numbers in the ETBF-infected AOM/DSS mice. Taken together, these findings suggest that a HSD consumption inhibited ETBF-promoted colon carcinogenesis in mice, indicating that a HSD could have beneficial effects under certain conditions.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by inflammation. Although IBD is usually treated with anti-inflammatory agents, most of these treatments have limited efficacy. Propolis is a viscous mixture that honeybees produce by mixing saliva and honeycomb with exudate gathered from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. Although propolis has proved to ameliorate several inflammatory disorders, its therapeutic properties vary by geographical location, plant resources, bee species, and the solvents used in the extraction. In this study, we investigated the effects of Korean propolis in BALB/c mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Korean propolis extract was diluted in drinking water, and the BALB/c mice were given DSS for 7 days and Korean propolis for 17 days. The mice were sacrificed on day 17. In the DSS-induced colitis model, Korean propolis significantly decreased the severity of colitis, as assessed by body weight, spleen weight, and colonic length. Furthermore, Korean propolis induced the reduction of the inflammatory cytokine KC, infiltration of immune cells, and colonic hyperplasia in mice with DSS-induced colitis. The Korean propolis also decreased the loss of goblet cells and antibody-reactivity to inflammatory markers in the colons of mice administered DSS. These results demonstrate for the first time that Korean propolis has an ameliorative effect on DSS-induced colonic inflammation in BALB/c mice.