BERLIN (Dispatches) --
According to a new study by the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Munich and Tübingen University Hospital , exercise can prevent the development of fatty liver. It also says which molecular adaptations, in particular of the liver mitochondria, can be observed in this process.
Research led by Dr. Miriam Hoene and Dr. Lisa Kappler, mice were fed a high-energy diet. Some of the mice also received regular treadmill training. Following the six-week intervention, the researchers examined the animals’ livers and muscles for changes in the transcriptome, the mitochondrial proteome, lipid composition, and the mitochondrial function.
Consequently, the study showed training regulated important enzymes of glucose and fructose degradation in the liver as well as the mitochondrial pyruvate metabolism. In this way, the substrate burden for mitochondrial respiration and lipid synthesis can be reduced. As a result, less fat is stored in the liver -- and specific lipids such as diacylglycerol species are lowered. In addition , glucose control improves in the exercise trained mice. Also, an increased respiratory capacity of the skeletal muscles relieves the metabolic stress in the liver.
An imbalance between energy intake and consumption is discussed as a cause for the non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD, also called metabolic liver disease MAFLD). This leads to fat deposits in the liver and over time impairs the function of the mitochondria * -- both risk factors for the development of hepatic insulin resistance and liver inflammation.