Mitigation of MAFLD in High Fat-High Sucrose-Fructose Fed Mice by a Combination of Genistein Consumption and Exercise Training

PURPOSE: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is fueled by escalations in both sedentary behavior and caloric intake and is noted in obese type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients. This study aimed to examine the effects of exercise and the phytoestrogen genistein in mice fed a high fat (60% fat) high sugar (55% fructose with 45% sucrose), HFHS diet. METHODS: Male C57BL/6J mice were assigned to five groups: HFHS, HFHS with genistein (600 mg/kg diet, HFHS+Gen), HFHS with moderate exercise (HFHS+Ex), and HFHS with combined genistein and moderate exercise (HFHS-Gen+Ex). Control lean mice were fed standard chow and water. Exercise consisted of 30-minute sessions of treadmill running five days/week for the 12-week study duration. Body weight was assessed weekly. Liver, kidney, fecal pellets and serum were extracted at the end of the study and maintained at −80°C. RESULTS: After 12 weeks of treatment, mice in the HFHS group had the highest hepatic lipid content. Plasma levels of glucose, insulin, leptin, cholesterol, amylin, and total fat content were significantly elevated in HFHS mice compared to control mice. HFHS feeding increased protein expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1b (CPT-1b isoform) in gastrocnemius, CPT1a, glucose transporter protein 2 (GLUT2), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate 1 (FBP1) expression in liver. Exercise alone had minor effects on these metabolic abnormalities. Genistein alone resulted in improvements in body weight, fat content, amylin, insulin sensitivity, and liver histopathology, GR, FBP1, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1). Combination treatment resulted in additional metabolic improvements, including reductions in hepatic lipid content and lipid area, alanine transferase activity, CPT1b, and CPT1a. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that a HFHS diet is obesogenic, inducing metabolic perturbations consistent with T2DM and MAFLD. Genistein alone and genistein combined with moderate intensity exercise were effective in reducing MAFLD and the aberrations induced by chronic HFHS feeding.