High-fat diet promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition through enlarged growth of opportunistic pathogens and the intervention of saturated hydrogen.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the effects and mechanism of high-fat diet on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of respiratory tract and the intervention of saturated hydrogen on it.

METHODS

80 five-week-old C57BL6/J male mice were randomly divided into normal control group, H group, high-fat (HF) group and HF+H group, making 20 mice in each group. The weights of the mice were measured on weekly basis. Six mice from each group were executed at every second week. Blood samples were collected for lipid testing. Lung tissues were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing, HE staining, immunofluorescence and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the mice in the HF group showed increased inflammatory cell infiltration, decreased expression of e-cadherin (E-cad) and increased expression of Twist. There were significant differences in the composition of bacteria in the lung, and the expression of isocitrate lyase (ICL) genes in and , which were significantly associated with asthma were seen with a significant increasing trend. After the treatment of saturated hydrogen, the changes in lung microbial population, lung tissue infiltration of inflammatory cells and the transformation of epithelial stroma caused by high-fat diet were moderately alleviated.

CONCLUSION

High-fat diet can promote inflammation and EMT in the lung by enlarging the growth of glyoxylic acid cycle-dependent bacteria, and the pathological process are partly alleviated by saturated hydrogen.