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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Microbes
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1458106

High fat, high sucrose diet promotes increased expression of ACE2 receptor in the SIV-infected host: Implications for SARS-CoV-2 infection

Provisionally accepted
Elizabeth C. Delery Elizabeth C. Delery 1,2Danielle E. Levitt Danielle E. Levitt 2,3Angela M. Amedee Angela M. Amedee 2Patricia Molina Patricia Molina 2Liz Simon Liz Simon 2*
  • 1 Osteopathic Medical School, Marian University, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
  • 2 LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
  • 3 Texas Tech University, Lubbock, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: People with pre-existing conditions, including metabolic comorbidities, are at greater risk for complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection and expression of machinery required for viral entry into host cells may be a contributing factor. This study tested the hypothesis that high fat, high sucrose diet (HFSD) and alcohol use increase expression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) in tissues isolated from simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infected macaques, the most clinically relevant model for the study of HIV. Methods: Biospecimens obtained from a longitudinal study of SIV-infected, antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were used to determine whether HFSD and chronic binge alcohol (CBA) increased ACE2 and TMPRSS2 protein and gene expression. Macaques (n=10) were assigned to HFSD or standard diet (SD) for 3 months before CBA or vehicle administration. Three months later, macaques were infected with SIV; ART was initiated 2.5 months thereafter. Tissue samples including lung, pancreas, and kidney were collected at study endpoint (12 months post-SIV infection). Results: Protein expression of ACE2 in the lung, whole pancreas, and pancreatic islets was significantly greater in HFSD-than SD-fed macaques with no significant differences in protein expression of TMPRSS2 or mRNA expression of ACE2 or TMPRSS2. CBA did not significantly alter any measures. Discussion: The increased ACE2 receptor expression observed in lung and pancreas of SIV-infected HFSD-fed female rhesus macaques aligns with reports that diet may increase susceptibility to COVID-19. These data provide direct evidence for a link between dietary quality and cellular adaptations that may increase the risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

    Keywords: COVID-19, SIV, diet quality, alcohol, risk factor, comorbidities

    Received: 01 Jul 2024; Accepted: 10 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Delery, Levitt, Amedee, Molina and Simon. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Liz Simon, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, 70112-2223, Louisiana, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.