Altered mitochondrial unfolded protein response and FGF21 secretion in MASLD progression and the effect of exercise intervention

Abstract A high-calorie diet and lack of exercise are the most important risk factors contributing to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) initiation and progression. The precise molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial function alteration during MASLD development remain to...

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Main Authors: Xinmeng Yuan, Wen Sun, Ye Xu, Mengqi Xiang, Yaran Gao, Wanyu Feng, Hongjian Xiao, Liumei Zhang, Qiang Tang, Jiao Lu, Yuan Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-01-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87190-6
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author Xinmeng Yuan
Wen Sun
Ye Xu
Mengqi Xiang
Yaran Gao
Wanyu Feng
Hongjian Xiao
Liumei Zhang
Qiang Tang
Jiao Lu
Yuan Zhang
author_facet Xinmeng Yuan
Wen Sun
Ye Xu
Mengqi Xiang
Yaran Gao
Wanyu Feng
Hongjian Xiao
Liumei Zhang
Qiang Tang
Jiao Lu
Yuan Zhang
author_sort Xinmeng Yuan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract A high-calorie diet and lack of exercise are the most important risk factors contributing to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) initiation and progression. The precise molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial function alteration during MASLD development remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, a total of 60 male C57BL/6J mice were maintained on a normal or amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet for 6 or 10 weeks. Some of the mice were then subjected to voluntary wheel running, while the other mice were fed a normal or AMLN diet until 14 and 18 weeks. The results showed that hepatic lipid deposition and the PERK-eIF2α-ATF4 pathway were significantly increased with prolonged duration of AMLN diet. However, expression of mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) genes and mitokine FGF21 secretion were significantly enhanced in the 14-week AMLN diet mice, but were markedly reduced with the excessive lipid deposition induced by longer AMLN diet. Additionally, the exercise intervention acts as a regulator to optimize UPRmt signal transduction and to enhance mitochondrial homeostasis by improving mitochondrial function, reversing the UPRmt activation pattern, and increasing FGF21 secretion, which plays a pivotal role in delaying the occurrence and development of MASLD.
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spelling doaj-art-b0c1263aff2143caa764c72dd12d2ccd2025-02-02T12:20:34ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-87190-6Altered mitochondrial unfolded protein response and FGF21 secretion in MASLD progression and the effect of exercise interventionXinmeng Yuan0Wen Sun1Ye Xu2Mengqi Xiang3Yaran Gao4Wanyu Feng5Hongjian Xiao6Liumei Zhang7Qiang Tang8Jiao Lu9Yuan Zhang10School of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport InstituteSchool of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport InstituteSchool of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport InstituteSchool of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport InstituteSchool of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport InstituteJiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Sport and Health ProjectSchool of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport InstituteSchool of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport InstituteSchool of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport InstituteSchool of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport InstituteSchool of Sports and Health, Nanjing Sport InstituteAbstract A high-calorie diet and lack of exercise are the most important risk factors contributing to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) initiation and progression. The precise molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial function alteration during MASLD development remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, a total of 60 male C57BL/6J mice were maintained on a normal or amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet for 6 or 10 weeks. Some of the mice were then subjected to voluntary wheel running, while the other mice were fed a normal or AMLN diet until 14 and 18 weeks. The results showed that hepatic lipid deposition and the PERK-eIF2α-ATF4 pathway were significantly increased with prolonged duration of AMLN diet. However, expression of mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) genes and mitokine FGF21 secretion were significantly enhanced in the 14-week AMLN diet mice, but were markedly reduced with the excessive lipid deposition induced by longer AMLN diet. Additionally, the exercise intervention acts as a regulator to optimize UPRmt signal transduction and to enhance mitochondrial homeostasis by improving mitochondrial function, reversing the UPRmt activation pattern, and increasing FGF21 secretion, which plays a pivotal role in delaying the occurrence and development of MASLD.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87190-6Mitochondrial unfolded protein responseHepatic lipid accumulationExercise interventionAMLN dietMASLD progression
spellingShingle Xinmeng Yuan
Wen Sun
Ye Xu
Mengqi Xiang
Yaran Gao
Wanyu Feng
Hongjian Xiao
Liumei Zhang
Qiang Tang
Jiao Lu
Yuan Zhang
Altered mitochondrial unfolded protein response and FGF21 secretion in MASLD progression and the effect of exercise intervention
Scientific Reports
Mitochondrial unfolded protein response
Hepatic lipid accumulation
Exercise intervention
AMLN diet
MASLD progression
title Altered mitochondrial unfolded protein response and FGF21 secretion in MASLD progression and the effect of exercise intervention
title_full Altered mitochondrial unfolded protein response and FGF21 secretion in MASLD progression and the effect of exercise intervention
title_fullStr Altered mitochondrial unfolded protein response and FGF21 secretion in MASLD progression and the effect of exercise intervention
title_full_unstemmed Altered mitochondrial unfolded protein response and FGF21 secretion in MASLD progression and the effect of exercise intervention
title_short Altered mitochondrial unfolded protein response and FGF21 secretion in MASLD progression and the effect of exercise intervention
title_sort altered mitochondrial unfolded protein response and fgf21 secretion in masld progression and the effect of exercise intervention
topic Mitochondrial unfolded protein response
Hepatic lipid accumulation
Exercise intervention
AMLN diet
MASLD progression
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87190-6
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