Effects of Dietary Protein Intake on Cutaneous and Systemic Inflammation in Mice with Acute Experimental Psoriasis

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disorder, primarily characterized by skin plaques. It is linked to co-morbidities including cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Several studies demonstrate that dietary habits can influence psoriasis development and severity. However, the effect of different dietary protein levels on psoriasis development and severity is poorly understood. In this study, we examine the influence of dietary protein on psoriasis-like skin disease in mice. Methods: We fed male C57BL/6J mice with regular, low protein and high protein chow for 4 weeks. Afterwards, we induced psoriasis-like skin disease by topical imiquimod (IMQ)-treatment on ear and back skin. The local cutaneous and systemic inflammatory response was investigated using flow cytometry analysis, histology and quantitative rt-PCR. Results: After 5 days of IMQ-treatment, both diets reduced bodyweight in mice, whereas only the high protein diet slightly aggravated IMQ-induced skin inflammation. IMQ-treatment induced infiltration of myeloid cells, neutrophils, and monocytes/macrophages into skin and spleen independently of diet. After IMQ-treatment, circulating neutrophils and reactive oxygen species were increased in mice on low and high protein diets. Conclusion: Different dietary protein levels had no striking effect on IMQ-induced psoriasis but aggravated the systemic pro-inflammatory phenotype.

Dietary Protein Intake and Associated Risks for Atopic Dermatitis, Intrinsic Eczema, and Allergic Sensitization among Young Chinese Adults in Singapore/Malaysia: Key Findings from a Cross-sectional Study

“…Although we had examined the same association between various protein intakes and IE, there were no significant associations. This is consistent with a previous study in mice with psoriasis-like conditions whereby the feeding of high-protein diets exacerbated systemic inflammatory responses but had little effect on cutaneous conditions ( Knopp et al., 2021 ). These results corroborated the idea that a frequent intake of high-protein foods in diets promoted the associated risks of AD by manifesting on top of the atopy predisposition.…”

Effects of Alcohol Intake, Smoking, and Diet Evaluated Using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test Questionnaire on the Severity of Plaque Psoriasis in 44 Patients Using the Body Surface Area and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index Scales, and Quality of Life Using the Dermatology Life Quality Index Questionnaire

“…A dietary protein deficit was noted for patients who scored >15 points on the AUDIT test. Zacheim et al [ 66 ] and Knopp et al [ 67 ] indicated that the severity of psoriatic lesions is not dependent on dietary protein [ 31 , 42 , 43 ]. Unfortunately, there is a lack of long-term studies on protein intake versus inflammatory marker levels.…”