title: Effect of High-Fat Diet on the Formation of Pulmonary Neutrophil Extracellular Traps during Influenza Pneumonia in BALB/c Mice.
abstract: Obesity is an independent risk factor for severe outcome of influenza infection. Higher dietary fat consumption has been linked to greater morbidity and severe influenza in mouse models. However, the extent of generation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs or NETosis) in obese individuals during influenza pneumonia is hitherto unknown. This study investigated pulmonary NETs generation in BALB/c mice fed with high-fat diet (HFD) and low-fat diet (LFD), during the course of influenza pneumonia. Clinical disease progression, histopathology, lung reactive oxygen species, and myeloperoxidase activity were also compared. Consumption of HFD over 18 weeks led to significantly higher body weight, body mass index, and adiposity in BALB/c mice compared with LFD. Lethal challenge of mice (on HFD and LFD) with influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) virus led to similar body weight loss and histopathologic severity. However, NETs were formed at relatively higher levels in mice fed with HFD, despite the absence of significant difference in disease progression between HFD- and LFD-fed mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System , Singapore.
authors.forename: Anandi Narayana
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Moorthy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, National University Hospital, National University of Singapore, National University Health System , Singapore.
authors.forename: Kong Bing
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, National University Hospital, National University of Singapore, National University Health System , Singapore.
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University , Stillwater, OK , USA.
authors.forename: Teluguakula
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Narasaraju
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System , Singapore.
authors.forename: Vincent T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Chow
keywords: NETs; high-fat diet; influenza; neutrophils; pneumonia