Gene Expression in Rats Fed a Western Diet

Resistant starches (RS), fed as high amylose maize starch (HAMS) or butyrylated HAMS (HAMSB), oppose dietary protein-induced colonocyte DNA damage in rats. In this study, rats were fed diets high in fat (19%) and protein (20%) with different forms of digestible starch (low amylose maize starch (LAMS) or low amylose whole wheat (LAW)) or RS (HAMS, HAMSB, or a whole high amylose wheat (HAW) generated by RNA interference (RNAi)) for 11 wk. A control diet contained 7% fat, 13% protein and LAMS. The aim of this study was to detect changes in the expression of DNA damage and repair genes in response to the above dietary treatments.