Dietary regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (α and γ) and IL-1R-associated kinase proteins in experimental Trypanosoma cruzi infection: Insights into one health

Chagasic cardiomyopathy, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is influenced by host-parasite genetics and environmental factors such as diet. High-fat diets can intensify inflammation via pathways involving IRAK-1 and PPARs (α/γ). This study examined the impact of monounsaturated (olive oil) and saturated (lard) fat-rich diets on the expression of IRAK-1, PPAR-α, and PPAR-γ in cardiac and adipose tissues of mice infected with the Colombian strain of T. cruzi. Mice received control, olive oil, or lard diets during the experiment, and the infection was evaluated for 30 or 100 days. Infection increased IRAK-1 expression in both tissues at 30 dpi and a cardiac reduction at 100 dpi. PPAR-α and PPAR-γ were suppressed at both time points, while PPARs were decreased in the presence of T. cruzi. In infected mice, fat-rich diets further decreased PPAR-α in cardiac tissue, while olive oil upregulated PPAR-γ in cardiac tissue (30 dpi), and lard did so with both PPARs in adipose tissues (100 dpi). These results highlight the phase-specific and fat-type-specific modulation of inflammatory pathways by lipid diets, underlining the potential role of nutrition in Chagas disease progression.