Project Details
Projekt
Effect of a high fat diet on pyelonephritis
Applicant
Professor Dr. Christian Kurts
Subject Area
Reproductive Medicine, Urology
Term
since 2023
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 466687329
Our Western diet is rich in fat and salt including cholesterol, all of which profoundly influence immune responses. The National Consumption Study II (Nationale Verzehrsstudie II) and the NEMONIT study revealed that the proportion of fat in energy intake, especially saturated fatty acids, is above the DGE-recommendations in Germany. Western diet increases the incidence of kidney diseases. In a preliminary study, we observed that an experimental pyelonephritis (PN) model was aggravated in mice receiving a high fat diet (HFD). The influence of fat or meat consumption (rich in saturated fatty acids) on bacterial infections of the kidney has not yet been systematically investigated. Therefore, we would like to address the following aims: (I) Characterize the effects of a HFD on the intrarenal immune response and on the kidney, immune cell lipid composition and metabolism, (II) Clarify the roles of NLRP3- and TREM2-expressing macrophages in the HFD-suppressed defense against PN, (III) Clarify the role of HFD-induced hormones in the suppressed defense against PN, and (IV) Investigate how changing the fatty acid quality (saturated vs. unsaturated fatty acids) may represent a possible therapeutic option in kidney infection. Our work will extend previous observations on the effects of a Western diet on the antibacterial defense in PN and provide insights into altered metabolic pathways in an immunological context. Finally, our findings may impact the management of patients suffering from such recurring infections by defining supportive dietary measures.
DFG Programme
Research Units
