Logo image
Dietary fibre-adapted gut microbiome clears dietary fructose and reverses hepatic steatosis
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Dietary fibre-adapted gut microbiome clears dietary fructose and reverses hepatic steatosis

Sunhee Jung, Hosung Bae, Won-Suk Song, Yujin Chun, Johnny Le, Yasmine Alam, Amandine Verlande, Sung Kook Chun, Joohwan Kim, Miranda E Kelly, …
Nature metabolism, Vol.7(9), pp.1801-1818
09/01/2025
DOI: 10.1038/s42255-025-01356-0
PMID: 40954286
url
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01356-0View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Excessive consumption of the simple sugar fructose, which induces excessive hepatic lipogenesis and gut dysbiosis, is a risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases. Here we show in male mice that the gut microbiome, when adapted to dietary fibre inulin, catabolizes dietary fructose and mitigates or reverses insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. Specifically, inulin supplementation, without affecting the host's small intestinal fructose catabolism, promotes the small intestinal microbiome to break down incoming fructose, thereby decreasing hepatic lipogenesis and fructose spillover to the colonic microbiome. Inulin also activates hepatic de novo serine synthesis and cystine uptake, augmenting glutathione production and protecting the liver from fructose-induced lipid peroxidation. These multi-modal effects of inulin are transmittable by the gut microbiome, where Bacteroides acidifaciens acts as a key player. Thus, the gut microbiome, adapted to use inulin (a fructose polymer), efficiently catabolizes dietary monomeric fructose, thereby protecting the host. These findings provide a mechanism for how fibre can facilitate the gut microbiome to mitigate the host's exposure to harmful nutrients and disease progression.
Animals Dietary Fiber - metabolism Dietary Fiber - pharmacology Fatty Liver - metabolism Fatty Liver - microbiology Fructose - metabolism Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects Gastrointestinal Microbiome - physiology Insulin Resistance Inulin - metabolism Inulin - pharmacology Liver - metabolism Male Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL

Details

Metrics

Logo image