Impact of a Hempseed-Enriched Diet on Tumor Burden and Cachexia in Apc min/+ Female Mice

Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a hempseed-enriched diet to improve health outcomes for the Apc min/+ mouse, a commonly used animal model for colorectal cancer. Numerous adenomas located in the epithelial wall of the small intestine cause nutrient malabsorption and disruption of gut barrier function that enables infiltration of endotoxins into the bloodstream. Systemic inflammation and marked losses of lean and adipose tissue result in a body-wasting condition called cachexia. We hypothesized that a hempseed-enriched diet would reduce the severity of tumor burden and cachexia in Apc min/+ mice fed the diet beginning at age 7 weeks up to 25 weeks. To test this hypothesis, three diet groups ( n =8 each) of female Apc min/+ mice were studied in a longitudinal design using a base diet (AIN-93G) supplemented with ground whole hempseeds ( w : w ) at either 0% (Control), 5%, or 15%. Food intake and body weight were recorded daily to assess energy balance and determine the onset of cachexia, as indicated by weight loss and decreased food intake. DXA scanning was performed throughout the study every four weeks during pre-cachexia and a final time after onset of cachexia at end point, when individual mice had lost approximately 15-20% of their maximum body weight. Mice in all three diet groups grew and gained weight characteristic of young growing mice during pre-cachexia between ages 5 and 12 weeks. The age of cachexia onset occurred after 12 weeks but varied between individual mice and did not appear to be influenced by diet. Decreases in body weight during cachexia were associated with decreased food intake. For all three diet groups, body compositional changes revealed losses of lean and adipose tissue, while bone mineral density was preserved. Visual inspection revealed that the intestinal tumors developed in all mice, including those fed the hempseed-enriched diet. Work is in progress to quantitatively determine intestinal tumor burden (tumor location, number, size, total area) in the fixed tissues. In conclusion, a hempseed-enriched diet alone, as an intervention, does not appear to have a remarkable impact on the prevention of intestinal tumors or cachexia in female Apc min/+ mice. (Sex differences were not evaluated.) Colorado State University Pueblo SEED Grant This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2025 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.