Fructooligosaccharides exert intestinal anti-inflammatory activity in the CD4+ CD62L+ T cell transfer model of colitis in C57BL/6J mice

Purpose Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are used as functional foods due to their prebiotic effects. Intestinal anti-inflammatory activity has been established in most, but not all, studies in animal models of colitis, using mainly chemically induced inflammation. Our goal was to test the effect of FOS (degree of polymerization 2–8) in the chronic, lymphocyte-driven CD4+ CD62L+ T cell transfer model of colitis. Methods Colitis was induced by transfer of CD4+ CD62L+ T cells to C57BL/6J Rag1 −/− mice. FOS (75 mg day −1 ) was administered by gavage as a post-treatment. Three groups were established: non-colitic (NC), colitic control (C, CD4+ CD62L+ transferred mice treated with vehicle) and colitic+FOS (C+FOS, similar but treated with FOS). Mice were killed after 13 days. Results Treatment of mice with FOS ameliorated colitis, as evidenced by an increase in body weight, a lesser myeloperoxidase and alkaline phosphatase activities, a lower secretion of proinflammatory cytokines by mesenteric lymph node cells ex vivo (IFN-γ, IL-17, and TNF-α), and a higher colonic expression of occludin (C+FOS vs. C, p