# High Fat and Sugar Diet Increases Enteric cDC1 and Oral Antigen‐Specific Tregs

**Authors:** K. Fischer, O. Horno, B. Raposo, I. Godinho, H. Ribeiro, H. Veiga-Fernandes, M. Martínez-López

PMC · DOI: 10.1155/jimr/6600076 · Journal of Immunology Research · 2025-10-28

## TL;DR

A high-fat and sugar diet increases specific immune cells in the gut, which may affect how the body tolerates food.

## Contribution

The study reveals that high-caloric diets increase cDC1 levels, influencing Treg generation and food tolerance.

## Key findings

- High-fat, high-sugar diets increase enteric cDC1 levels in the gut lamina propria.
- Diet-induced cDC1 increases correlate with higher Treg levels during oral tolerance.
- Diet alters immune cell composition in the gut, independent of dietary duration.

## Abstract

Diet‐induced obesity is a growing global health concern linked to various immunological alterations. Dendritic cells (DCs) are major regulators of the balance between pro‐inflammatory and tolerogenic immune responses. Conventional Type 1 DCs (cDC1) contribute to oral tolerance by affecting the generation of food specific regulatory T cells (Tregs). Nevertheless, whether obesity affects cDC1/Treg pathways and the generation of food tolerance remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the spatio‐temporal impact of a high‐fat, high‐sugar diet (HFHSD) on the enteric immune system. Enteric immune composition was primarily altered by diet and intestinal region, independently of the duration of the dietary regimen. Notably, the lamina propria of animals fed with high‐caloric diet was enriched in cDC1 overtime. While diet did neither reprogramme cDC1 gut‐homing markers, nor costimulatory molecules nor cytokines, it increased intestinal cDC1 levels, which correlated with increased Tregs during oral tolerance protocols. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of high‐caloric diet and food intolerances, while revealing a remarkable plasticity of the intestinal immune system in response to diet.

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** inflammatory (MESH:D007249), obesity (MESH:D009765)
- **Chemicals:** Sugar (MESH:D000073893)

## Full text

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## Figures

20 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12564431/full.md

## References

40 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12564431/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12564431