A diet including xanthan gum triggers a pro-inflammatory response in Wistar rats inoculated with Walker 256 cells.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding xanthan gum to the diet of rats on the production of cytokines and pro-inflammatory factors and on tumor development in rats inoculated with Walker 256 tumor cells.

Methods: Fifty-six rats were divided into 4 groups: control diet (C), control diet with tumor (TC), xanthan gum diet (XG), xanthan gum diet with tumor (TXG).

Results: The ingestion of xanthan gum promotes changes in cytokine content: increasing IL-6 TNF-α and IL-10 in retroperitoneal adipose tissue compared to the control group; and increasing TNF-α in the mesenteric adipose tissue compared to the C and TXG groups.