Patel Piyush, Jin Chunsheng, Nookaew Intawat, Robeson Michael, Malipatlolla Dilip K, Devarakonda Sravani, Rascón Ana, Nyman Margareta, Karlsson Niclas G, Wold Agnes E, Sjöberg Fei, Bull Cecilia
Division of Clinical Cancer Epidemiology, Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes. 2025 Jul 4;11(1):128. doi: 10.1038/s41522-025-00759-x.
Dietary fibers are recognized for their health benefits, yet cancer patients undergoing pelvic radiotherapy are often advised to reduce fiber intake. This may negatively impact their bowel health. To evaluate the effects of dietary fibers on bowel health post-irradiation, male C57BL/6 mice were fed diets containing either 0 or 15% fiber with varying proportions of readily fermentable bioprocessed oat bran fiber and/or poorly fermentable microcrystalline cellulose, and either irradiated or sham-irradiated. Irradiation triggered mucus degradation and depletion of short-chain fatty acids, and a fiber-free diet exacerbated radiation-induced mucosal damage. In contrast, mice fed oat bran fiber exhibited less mucosal damage, fewer dysbiotic and mucus-degrading bacteria, higher production of short-chain fatty acids, and improved bactericidal activity. These benefits were dose-dependent, with 15% oat bran fiber providing greater protection. Our findings suggest that fiber deprivation exacerbates radiation-induced intestinal damage, while supplementation with 15% highly fermentable oat bran fiber supports mucosal integrity and protects against radiation-induced injury.
膳食纤维因其对健康有益而被认可，但接受盆腔放疗的癌症患者通常被建议减少纤维摄入量。这可能会对他们的肠道健康产生负面影响。为了评估膳食纤维对放疗后肠道健康的影响，给雄性C57BL/6小鼠喂食含有0%或15%纤维的饮食，其中纤维包含不同比例的易发酵生物加工燕麦麸纤维和/或难发酵微晶纤维素，并对其进行照射或假照射。照射引发了黏液降解和短链脂肪酸的消耗，无纤维饮食加剧了辐射诱导的黏膜损伤。相比之下，喂食燕麦麸纤维的小鼠黏膜损伤较小，失调和黏液降解细菌较少，短链脂肪酸产量较高，杀菌活性也有所改善。这些益处具有剂量依赖性，15%的燕麦麸纤维提供了更大的保护。我们的研究结果表明，缺乏纤维会加剧辐射诱导的肠道损伤，而补充15%的高发酵性燕麦麸纤维可维持黏膜完整性并预防辐射诱导的损伤。
