Objective: High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) was closely associated with progression and metastasis of colorectal cancer.
Methods: We examined the significance of HMGB1 in causing colon carcinogenesis induced by azoxymethane (AOM) injection in Fischer 344 rats fed on a control diet (group C), a 15% linoleic acid (LA) diet (group L), a control diet with 10% glucose drink (group G), and a 15% LA diet with a 10% glucose drink (group L+G).
Results: Group L+G showed the highest body weight and calorie intake. Serum and mucosal HMGB1 levels were temporally increased in all groups, while the highest levels were observed in group L+G. Mucosal HMGB1 levels were correlated with cancer multiplicity and nodal metastases. In the AOM-injected rats fed the 15% LA diet with 10% glucose drink, administration of HMGB1 antibody suppressed serum HMGB1 concentration and cancer multiplicity.
Conclusion: These data suggest that dietary LA and glucose provided the synergistic effect on AOM-induced rat colon cancer through HMGB1 induction.