Laboratory of Metabolism and Exercise (LaMetEx), Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (CIAFEL), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Department of Cell Biology, Physiology & Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Mol Metab. 2020 Feb;32:1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2019.11.015. Epub 2019 Nov 29.
Modern lifestyles, especially high-caloric intake and physical inactivity, contribute to the increased prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which becomes a significant health problem worldwide. Lifestyle changes, however, affect not only parental generation, but also their offspring, reinforcing the need for efficient preventive approaches to deal with this disease. This transgenerational influence of phenotypes dependent on parents (particularly maternal) behaviours may open additional research avenues. Despite persistent attempts to design an effective pharmacological therapy against NAFLD, physical activity, as a non-pharmacological approach, emerges as an exciting strategy.
Here we briefly review the effect of physical exercise on liver mitochondria adaptations in NAFLD, highlighting the importance of mitochondrial metabolism and transgenerational and epigenetic mechanisms in liver diseases.
A deeper look into cellular mechanisms sheds a light on possible effects of physical activity in the prevention and treatment of NAFLD through modulation of function and structure of particular organelles, namely mitochondria. Additionally, despite of increasing evidence regarding the contribution of epigenetic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of different diseases, the role of microRNAs, DNA methylation, and histone modification in NAFLD pathogenesis still needs to be elucidated.
现代生活方式，特别是高热量摄入和缺乏身体活动，导致非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）的患病率增加，这已成为全球范围内的一个重大健康问题。然而，生活方式的改变不仅影响到父母这一代人，还会影响到他们的后代，这就加强了需要采取有效的预防措施来应对这种疾病。这种依赖于父母（特别是母亲）行为的表型的跨代影响可能开辟了更多的研究途径。尽管人们一直试图设计一种针对 NAFLD 的有效药物治疗方法，但作为一种非药物治疗方法的身体活动，已成为一种令人兴奋的策略。
本文简要综述了运动对 NAFLD 肝脏线粒体适应性的影响，强调了线粒体代谢以及在肝脏疾病中跨代和表观遗传机制的重要性。
更深入地研究细胞机制揭示了通过调节特定细胞器（即线粒体）的功能和结构，身体活动可能在预防和治疗 NAFLD 方面的潜在作用。此外，尽管越来越多的证据表明表观遗传机制在不同疾病的发病机制中起作用，但 microRNAs、DNA 甲基化和组蛋白修饰在 NAFLD 发病机制中的作用仍有待阐明。
