Exercise Stimulates PINK-1, PARKIN, MFN-1, and ATG-3 Genes Expression Despite High-fat Diet: Tissue-specific...

Adipose tissue is pivotal in regulating metabolism, functioning not only as an energy store but also as an endocrine organe. Our investigation focused on the gene expression levels of PARKIN, ATG-3, PINK-1 and MFN-1 in C57BL/6J mice subjected to a high-fat diet and exercise regimen. The C57BL/6J mouse model was chosen due to its well-documented genetic background to diet-induced obesity for studying obesity.

The study consisted of three groups: control (C), high-fat diet (HFD), and exercise-high fat diet (E-HFD) groups. While HFD and E-HFD mice received a 60% fat diet, controls received a 10% fat diet. Real-time polymerase chain reaction system was applied to evaluate gene expression levels in hepatic, adipose, and heart tissues. Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the serum were quantified using ELISA kits according to the protocols.

In contrast to the control and HFD groups, the E-HFD group exhibited notably elevated gene expressions of ATG-3 and PINK-1 (p<0.05). In the hepatic tissue of E-HFD group, gene expression of MFN-1 and PARKIN were significantly upregulated (p<0.05). However, there was a significant reduction in PARKIN and MFN-1 gene expression in the hepatic tissues of the HFD group (p<0.05).

Exercise and high-fat diet intervention significantly alter expression levels of mitophagy-related genes PINK-1, PARKIN, MFN-1, and ATG3 and suggest that the examined genes may serve as potential molecular candidates for further research on obesity-related mitochondrial dysfunction and exercise-mediated metabolic improvement.