Transcriptomes of several organs of lean and obese mice infected with avian influenza

Influenza A virus (IAV) causes a wide range of extra-respiratory complications, ranging from central nervous system disease to cardiac disease. Obesity/overweight has previously been identified as a susceptibility factor for both severe influenza and cardiac disease. We therefore sought to investigate the systemic pathogenesis of influenza in an obese mouse model with a focus on cardiac complications of influenza. Overall design: C57BL/6 mice were fed either a high-fat diet consisting of 40% calories from fat or a low-fat diet consisting of 12% calories from fat for 10 weeks and supplied with water ad libitum. The mice were then inoculated with influenza A/Auckland/09(H1N1). Lung, heart and brain was collected from naive or infected mice and subjected to RNA sequencing.