JI: high-fat diet may weaken immune system

Researchers from the University of Michigan have found that a high-fat diet impairs the ability of immune cells in mice to respond to infection. The results of the study were published in The Journal of Immunology (JI).

During the experiment, rodents were divided into two groups. The first group consumed regular food, and the second group followed a high-fat diet for weight gain. After the intervention was completed, neutrophils - protective cells of the immune system that fight pathogens - were isolated from the blood and bone marrow of each individual.

The researchers found that the high-fat diet impaired the bone marrow neutrophils' ability to accumulate and release TNF-alpha, an immune signal important for regulating inflammation.  When the neutrophils were exposed to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (the causative agent of pneumonia), they were less effective at engulfing and destroying the bacteria.

The scientists also found that in obese mice, this cell type showed signs of immaturity or, conversely, senescence. The researchers hypothesized that similar mechanisms may be characteristic of the human body. They explained that obesity is associated with chronic sluggish inflammation, which contributes to a variety of diseases, including increased susceptibility to infections.

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