biostudies-literatureKiser ETBLRD VANIAID NIH HHSU.S. Department of Veterans AffairsDivision of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseasese0042321https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8386445biostudies-literatureUnknown6(4)Visceral leishmaniasis is a potentially fatal disease caused by the protozoon Leishmania donovani or L. infantum (Li). Although previous studies revealed that high lipid intake reduces parasite burdens in Leishmania donovani-infected mice, the specific contributions of dietary lipids to Li-associated pathogenesis are not known. To address this, we evaluated parasite growth, liver pathology, and transcriptomic signatures in Li-infected BALB/c mice fed either a control, high-fat, high-cholesterol, or high-fat-high-cholesterol diet. Using quantitative PCR (qPCR), we observed significantly reduced liver parasite burdens in mice fed the high-fat-high-cholesterol diet compared to mice fed the control diet. In contrast to the liver, parasite expansion occurred earlier in the spleens of mice fed tmSphereThe Inflammatory Effects of Dietary Lipids Regulate Growth of Parasites during Visceral Leishmaniasis.PMC8386445I01 BX001983T32 AI007511BX000536BX001983I01 BX000536Wacker MADixit UGBatra-Sharma HKiser ETChen YWilson MEfalseThe Inflammatory Effects of Dietary Lipids Regulate Growth of Parasites during Visceral Leishmaniasis.Visceral leishmaniasis is a potentially fatal disease caused by the protozoon Leishmania donovani or L. infantum (Li). Although previous studies revealed that high lipid intake reduces parasite burdens in Leishmania donovani-infected mice, the specific contributions of dietary lipids to Li-associated pathogenesis are not known. To address this, we evaluated parasite growth, liver pathology, and transcriptomic signatures in Li-infected BALB/c mice fed either a control, high-fat, high-cholesterol, or high-fat-high-cholesterol diet. Using quantitative PCR (qPCR), we observed significantly reduced liver parasite burdens in mice fed the high-fat-high-cholesterol diet compared to mice fed the control diet. In contrast to the liver, parasite expansion occurred earlier in the spleens of mice fed t2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021 Aug2025-04-06T04:09:35.921Z2022-02-11T10:51:34.706ZS-EPMC83864453425956110.1128/mSphere.00423-21