IL6 and colitis: To determine how the MD fat blend protects against the development of severe colitis, we examined the cytokine mRNA gene expression in the distal colon, specifically RELM-ß and IL-6, as they are known drivers of colitis in the Muc2−/− model.12 In accordance with the clinical markers of disease and the histological analysis, we saw a significant decrease in the expression of mRNA inflammatory cytokines RELM-ß and IL-6 in the MD compared to the CO diet (Figure 3a and 3b).