Effect of high-fat diet on IgA+ cells and BAFF/APRIL in small intestinal villous lamina propria of mice

Abstract

Obesity exacerbates susceptibility to infectious diseases. We investigated the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) on intestinal immunity, particularly immunoglobulin (Ig)A-producing cells, B-cell activating factor (BAFF), and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) localization. Mice (4- to 20-weeks old) were fed HFD or standard chow diet, and their jejunum and ileum were fixed using the in vivo cryotechnique. Immunohistochemistry was performed for IgA, BAFF, and APRIL. In the HFD group, IgA⁺, IgA⁺CD22⁺ (p < 0.001), and IgA⁺CD138⁻ (p = 0.007) cell counts were diminished in the middle sections of the lamina propria of jejunal villi, and BAFF levels were significantly reduced in jejunal villi. The HFD effects on IgA⁺ cell distribution seem to be confined to jejunal villi, hinting at localized vulnerabilities in intestinal immunity during obesity. Moreover, in the HFD group, IgA⁺ B-cell counts were reduced in the middle jejunum, indicating inhibition of the IgA⁺ B-cells through a T-cell-independent pathway.