Abstract
The beneficial effect of yoghurt consumption on health and on the improvement of the mucosal immune system is well established, as is the diet-associated risk of colon cancer. In an experimental model in BALB/c mice we demonstrated that yoghurt added to the diet for 10 consecutive days, with the procedure repeated each 10 days for 6 months, inhibited the development of a colorectal carcinoma induced by 1,2 dimethylhydrazine (DMH). The immunoregulatory mechanisms involved in the inhibition of tumour growth by yoghurt were also examined in these studies. We determined B lymphocytes IgA+ and IgG+, as well as CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the large intestine. We measured cellular apoptosis and the cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-10. An increase in the number of IgA+ (P<0.01) was observed, but not in IgG+ (P<0.01), or in the CD4+ population (P<0.01) in the mice treated with DMH and yoghurt. While in the group with the carcinogen there was an enhancement in the IgG+ B cells (P<0.01) and CD8+ T cells (P<0.01). Yoghurt increased the number of apoptotic cells and induced IFN-γ and TNF-α cytokine release, their production being regulated by an increase in IL-10 (P<0.001). We demonstrated that yoghurt may exert antitumour activity by a decrease in the inflammatory immune response mediated by IgA+ increase, apoptosis induction and IL-10 release.
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Perdigón, G., de Moreno de LeBlanc, A., Valdez, J. et al. Role of yoghurt in the prevention of colon cancer. Eur J Clin Nutr 56 (Suppl 3), S65–S68 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601490
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601490
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