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High fat diet aggravates cardiomyopathy in murine chronic Chagas disease

Kezia Lizardo1, Janeesh Plakkal Ayyappan1, Min-Hui Cui2

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, USA.

Microbes and Infection
|August 3, 2018
PubMed

Insights

High-fat diets exacerbate chronic Chagas disease cardiac pathology by disrupting lipid metabolism and increasing oxidative stress in mice. This contrasts with acute infection, where such diets offered protection against heart damage.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Disease Research
  • Infectious Disease Epidemiology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is a significant cause of heart disease in Latin America.
  • A dietary shift towards Western-style, high-fat diets (HFD) is occurring in endemic regions.
  • Previous studies showed HFD protected against acute Chagas disease cardiac damage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of HFD on indeterminate and chronic stages of Chagas disease.
  • To elucidate the effects of HFD on cardiac pathology during later infection stages.
  • To understand HFD's role in myocardial inflammation and dysfunction in chronic Chagas disease.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a mouse model of Trypanosoma cruzi infection.
  • Administered a high-fat diet during the indeterminate and chronic phases of infection.
  • Assessed cardiac inflammation, vasculopathy, and lipid metabolism.

Main Results:

  • High-fat diet exacerbates cardiac pathology in late-stage chronic Chagas disease.
  • HFD perturbs lipid metabolism in the heart during chronic infection.
  • HFD induces oxidative stress, worsening cardiac dysfunction.

Conclusions:

  • Dietary fat content significantly influences Chagas disease progression and cardiac outcomes.
  • HFD is detrimental in chronic Chagas disease, unlike its protective role in acute infection.
  • Findings highlight the complex interplay between diet and Chagas disease pathogenesis.

Keywords:
Chagasic cardiomyopathyHigh fat dietInflammationLipid metabolismMitochondrial dysfunctionRAGE

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