The Western diet is rich in salt, and a high salt diet (HSD) is suspected to be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. It is now widely accepted that an experimental HSD can stimulate components of the immune system, potentially exacerbating certain autoimmune diseases, or alternatively, improving defenses against certain infections, such as cutaneous leishmaniasis. However, recent findings show that an experimental HSD may also aggravate other infections (e.g., pyelonephritis or systemic listeriosis). Here, we discuss the modulatory effects of a HSD on the microbiota, metabolic signaling, hormonal responses, local sodium concentrations, and their effects on various immune cell types in different tissues. We describe how these factors are integrated, resulting either in immune stimulation or suppression in various tissues and disease settings.

西方饮食富含盐分，高盐饮食（HSD）被怀疑是心血管疾病的危险因素。现在已经广泛接受的是，实验性HSD可以刺激免疫系统的组成部分，从而可能加剧某些自身免疫性疾病，或者提高对某些感染（如皮肤利什曼病）的防御能力。但是，最近的发现表明，实验性HSD也可能加重其他感染（例如，肾盂肾炎或全身性李斯特菌病）。在这里，我们讨论了HSD对微生物群，代谢信号传导，激素反应，局部钠浓度及其对不同组织中各种免疫细胞类型的影响的调节作用。我们描述了如何整合这些因素，从而导致免疫刺激或抑制各种组织和疾病的发生。