Transcription profiling of rat colon after dietary treatment with fructo oligosaccharides

To increase our knowledge of the effects of Fructo oligosaccharides (FOS) on the intestinal barrier function in rats, a controlled rat infection study was performed. Two groups of rats were adapted to a diet with or without FOS. mRNA was collected from the mucosa of the colon and changes in gene expression were assessed using an agilent rat whole genome microarray (G4131A Agilent Technologies). Results indicate that dietary FOS influences energy metabolism, which will most likely play a role in the effects of FOS on the intestinal barrier. Experiment Overall Design: In the present study, large-scale gene expression analysis was performed to reveal mechanistic details of FOS induced gene expression in vivo in the colon mucosa. Wistar rats were adapted to diets with or without FOS for 14 days. RNA was isolated from colonic mucosal scrapings. Agilent rat whole genome microarray containing 44290 60-mer spots, were used to study FOS induced gene expression changes in order to better understand the FOS induced effects on the intestinal barrier of rats.