Consumption of Select Dietary Emulsifiers Exacerbates the Development of Spontaneous Intestinal Adenoma

Inflammation is a well-characterized critical driver of gastrointestinal cancers. Previous findings have shown that intestinal low-grade inflammation can be promoted by the consumption of select dietary emulsifiers, ubiquitous component of processed foods which alter the composition and function of the gut microbiota. Using a model of colitis-associated cancer, we previously reported that consumption of the dietary emulsifiers carboxymethylcellulose or polysorbate-80 exacerbated colonic tumor development. Here, we investigate the impact of dietary emulsifiers consumption on cancer initiation and progression in a genetical model of intestinal adenomas. In APC(min) mice, we observed that dietary emulsifiers consumption enhanced small-intestine tumor development in a way that appeared to be independent of chronic intestinal inflammation but rather associated with emulsifiers' impact on the proliferative status of the intestinal epithelium as well as on intestinal microbiota composition in both male and female mice. Overall, our findings further support the hypothesis that emulsifier consumption may be a new modifiable risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC) and that alterations in host-microbiota interactions can favor gastrointestinal carcinogenesis in individuals with a genetical predisposition to such disorders.

Automated summary

The study found that dietary emulsifiers consumption is associated with the development of colorectal cancer, enhancing intestinal tumor development in mice without being related to chronic intestinal inflammation, but rather impacted by the proliferative status of the intestinal epithelium and the composition of intestinal microbiota.