Abstract
Systemic inflammation underlies the association between obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Here, we investigated functional changes in leukocytes’ mitochondria in obese individuals and their associations with NAFLD. We analyzed 14 obese male Japanese university students whose body mass index was > 30 kg/m2 and 15 healthy age- and sex-matched lean university students as controls. We observed that the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity with complex I + II-linked substrates in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which was measured using a high-resolution respirometry, was significantly higher in the obese group versus the controls. The PBMCs’ mitochondrial complex IV capacity was also higher in the obese subjects. All of the obese subjects had hepatic steatosis defined by a fatty liver index (FLI) score ≥ 60, and there was a positive correlation between their FLI scores and their PBMCs’ mitochondrial OXPHOS capacity. The increased PBMCs’ mitochondrial OXPHOS capacity was associated with insulin resistance, systemic inflammation, and higher serum levels of interleukin-6 in the entire series of subjects. Our results suggest that the mitochondrial respiratory capacity is increased in the PBMCs at the early stage of obesity, and the enhanced PBMCs’ mitochondrial oxidative metabolism is associated with hepatic steatosis in obese young adults.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.