autoimmune diseases
Robert Klatt
- A high salt consumption disrupts the energy supply of the regulatory T cells of the immune system
- This probably increases that Risk of inflammation and autoimmune reactions
A high-salt diet disrupts the energy supply of the immune system. This likely promotes the development of inflammation and autoimmune reactions.
Berlin, Germany). According to various studies, high salt consumption is harmful to health, for example because it increases blood pressure and damages the cardiovascular system. There is also evidence that excessive salt consumption causes deposits in the brain that can trigger Alzheimer’s. In 2020, a study by the University of Bonn also came to the conclusion that a high-salt diet weakens the immune system because it increases kidney activity.
A new study by Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) now shows that too much salt also disrupts the control of the immune system.
“The starting point were observations in autoimmune patients and our results, according to which salt restricts the function of the mitochondria in monocytes and macrophages. We asked ourselves whether similar problems can occur in the regulatory T cells of healthy people.”
Regulatory T cells of the immune system
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are an important regulatory factor within the immune system. Their function is to suppress aggressive immune cells that are directed once morest the body itself and thus ensure that immunological reactions do not get out of control. In the case of certain autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, the effectiveness of the Tregs is reduced, which means that inflammation and damage to the body’s own tissues caused by the immune system can occur.
According to their publication in the specialist magazine Cell Metabolism the researchers led by first author Beatriz Côrte-Real from the University of Hasselt analyzed whether excess salt can have a negative impact on human regulatory T cells. To do this, they examined the gene activity in cell cultures whose nutrient medium had a higher salt content, as well as the function of the mitochondria.
High salt levels affect energy metabolism
They observed that regulatory T cells show a measurable deterioration in their energy metabolism when the salt concentration is increased. The mitochondria of the affected Tregs produced less chemical energy, which led to a change in cell metabolism and impaired immune cell function. The regulatory T cells exposed to high salt levels showed similarities to those observed in patients with autoimmune diseases.
According to Côrte-Real, the researchers were able to discover how mitochondrial function is inhibited by high salt intake.
“The high extracellular salt content increases the concentration of sodium ions in the cell. This inhibits mitochondrial respiration because it disrupts their electron transport chain.”
The inhibited respiration of the mitochondria led to changes in gene expression and a lack of energy in the. In the study, even a short-term interruption of mitochondrial function had a long-term effect on the immune-regulating capacity of the Tregs.
Autoimmune diseases from high salt consumption?
As Markus Kleinewietfeld explains, the study data provide evidence that an excess of salt in the body disrupts the regulatory T cells of the immune system, thereby increasing the risk of various diseases.
“Better understanding the factors and molecular mechanisms that contribute to Treg dysfunction in autoimmunity is a key question in this field.”
Considering that regulatory T cells are also important in diseases like cancer or cardiovascular diseases, studying the salt-induced effects might reveal new possibilities to modify the function of Tregs in different disease states.
“However, further studies are needed to better understand the molecular mechanisms and their potential links to disease.”
Cell Metabolism, doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.01.009
