Reversible Toxic Effects of the Dietary Supplement Indole-3-Carbinol in an Immune Compromised Rodent Model: Intestine as the Main Target

ABSTRACTDietary supplements are widely used in the United States, but the safety issue remains unresolved. Immuno-deficient or immuno-compromised patients, estimated to exceed 10 million in the United States, are known to use dietary supplements. This population potentially may be susceptible to supplements’ adverse effects. The cruciferous vegetable-derived indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is known for its possible protective effects against a number of chronic diseases and is commercially available as a dietary supplement. However, the safety of orally consumed I3C in the general population and particularly in immuno-compromised individuals remains unknown. In this study, rodent model of immune-deficient male BALB/c nu/nu athymic mice were given diets supplemented with 0-100 μmoles I3C/g diet for 4 weeks. We found that BALB/c nu/nu mice were not viable after three days on a 100 μmoles I3C/g supplemented diet. Switching to the control diet (without I3C) after first detection of stress resulted in a 75% recovery o...