Abstract
Pre-existing comorbidities such as obesity or metabolic diseases can adversely affect the clinical outcome of COVID-19. Chronic metabolic disorders are globally on the rise and often a consequence of an unhealthy diet, referred to as a Western Diet. For the first time in the Syrian hamster model, we demonstrate the detrimental impact of a continuous high-fat high-sugar diet on COVID-19 outcome. We observed increased weight loss and lung pathology, such as exudate, vasculitis, hemorrhage, fibrin, and edema, delayed viral clearance and functional lung recovery, and prolonged viral shedding. This was accompanied by an altered, but not significantly different, systemic IL-10 and IL-6 profile, as well as a dysregulated serum lipid response dominated by polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing phosphatidylethanolamine, partially recapitulating cytokine and lipid responses associated with severe human COVID-19. Our data support the hamster model for testing restrictive or targeted diets and immunomodulatory therapies to mediate the adverse effects of metabolic disease on COVID-19.
Highlights
We investigated the impact of a consistent high-fat and high-sugar (HFHS) diet on the Syrian hamster
The development of animal models that faithfully recapitulate certain aspects of human disease remains a top priority in SARS-CoV-2 research
Healthy Syrian hamsters develop mild to moderate disease like most human cases; they do not exhibit the more severe respiratory disease seen in humans with comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, or other chronic illness [8,31,32]
Summary
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiological agent of coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 and can cause asymptomatic to severe lower respiratory tract infections in humans [1,2]. Pre-existing comorbidities such as immunosuppression, obesity, diabetes, or chronic lung disease can adversely affect the clinical outcome [3–6]. Obesity and metabolic disorders are global pandemics of rising concern [7–9]. The underlying disease is driven mainly by changes in the global food system, which is producing more processed, affordable, and effectively marketed food than ever before
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