Objective:

To investigate the impact of a high-fat Western diet on gut microbiome alterations and disease progression in a murine model of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Approach:

• Diet Modulation Study: Male and female Eµ-TCL1 mice were assigned to either a high-fat, high-carbohydrate Western diet or standard chow diet to assess the effects on CLL progression and gut microbiome.

Key Findings:

• Mice on a high-fat diet had significantly shorter survival compared to those on a standard chow diet (p = 0.001).
• Increased splenic involvement by CLL was observed in high-fat diet-fed mice at the time of sacrifice (p < 0.05).
• The high-fat diet led to reduced alpha diversity (p = 0.009) and altered community composition in the gut microbiome.
• Changes in alpha diversity correlated with higher disease burden (p = 0.009, r = 0.406) and worse survival (p = 0.001, r = -0.492).
• Sustained increases in Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroidetes thetaiotaomicron were noted in high-fat diet-fed mice.

Interpretation:

The study provides evidence of the impact of a high-fat Western diet on gut microbiome composition and CLL pathogenesis in the Eµ-TCL1 murine model.

Limitations:

• The study is limited to a murine model and may not directly translate to human CLL.
• The long-term effects of dietary changes on gut microbiome and CLL progression require further investigation.

Conclusion:

The findings indicate that dietary composition influences gut microbiome dynamics and disease progression in CLL.