International Journal of Molecular Sciences

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Molecular Research on Diabetes and Obesity

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Dear Colleagues,

Obesity and diabetes are the most prevalent chronic metabolic diseases to develop cardiovascular diseases worldwide. The development or treatment of obesity and diabetes is influenced by multiple factors, including adipokines, inflammatory cytokines, growth hormones, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, physical activity, and lifestyles. Gaining insight into the cellular basis or signaling pathways of obesity and diabetes on various tissues could lay the foundations for the development of new therapeutic strategies.

This Special Issue aims to provide novel insights into pathological or therapeutic aspects of obesity and diabetes. To this end, we welcome experts in the field to contribute research articles and critical reviews on molecular, signaling pathways, and cellular mechanisms involved in the regulation, therapeutic effects, or treatment of obesity and diabetes.

Prof. Dr. Shin-Da Lee
Guest Editor

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Review

17 pages, 1165 KiB

Open AccessReview

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Management in the Community

by Yongsoo Park, Kyung Soo Ko and Byoung Doo Rhee

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(6), 2758; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26062758 - 19 Mar 2025

Viewed by 215

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has frequently been associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and dyslipidemia, all of which are shared by increased insulin resistance. It has become the most common liver disorder in Korea as well as in developed countries and is therefore associated with an increased health burden of morbidity and mortality. It has an association with T2D, and T2D increases the risk of cirrhosis and related complications. NAFLD encompasses a disease continuum from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis which is characterized by faster fibrosis progression. Although its liver-related complication is estimated to be, at most, 10%, it will be a leading cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma soon in Korea. Although the main causes of death in people with NAFLD are cardiovascular disease and extra-hepatic malignancy, advanced liver fibrosis is a key prognostic marker for liver-related outcomes and can be assessed with combinations of non-invasive tests in the community. A number of components of metabolic syndrome involved could be another important prognostic information of NAFLD assessed easily in the routine care of the community. There is a few approved therapies for NAFLD, although several drugs, including antioxidants, attract practitioners’ attention. Because of the modest effect of the present therapeutics, let alone complex pathophysiology and substantial heterogeneity of disease phenotypes, combination treatment is a viable option for many patients with NAFLD in the Korean community. Comprehensive approach taking healthy lifestyle and weight reduction into account remain a mainstay to the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Diabetes and Obesity)

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15 pages, 1181 KiB

Open AccessReview

Effects of Exercise Training on Cardiac Mitochondrial Functions in Diabetic Heart: A Systematic Review

by Iqbal Ali Shah, Shahid Ishaq, Shin-Da Lee and Bor-Tsang Wu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26010008 - 24 Dec 2024

Viewed by 1020

Abstract

A diabetic heart is characterized by fibrosis, autophagy, oxidative stress, and altered mitochondrial functions. For this review, three databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science) were searched for articles written in English from September 2023 to April 2024. Studies that used exercise training for at least 3 weeks and which reported positive, negative, or no effects were included. The CAMARADES checklist was used to assess the quality of the included studies, and ten studies (CAMARADES scores 4–7/10) were included. Nine studies showed that exercise training improved cardiac mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation by decreasing ROS, increasing electron transport chain activity, and enhancing the production of ATP. Eight studies indicated that exercise training ameliorated mitochondrial biogenesis by increasing the levels of AMPK, PGC-1α, Akt, Irisin, and Sirtuin-III. Moreover, four studies focused on mitochondrial dynamics and concluded that exercise training helped decrease the levels of mitochondrial fission factor and dynamin-related protein- 1. Finally, six studies revealed improvements in mitochondrial physiological characteristics such as size, potential, and permeability. Our findings demonstrate the beneficial effects of exercise training on cardiac mitochondrial function in diabetic hearts. Exercise training improves cardiac mitochondrial physiological characteristics, oxidative phosphorylation, biogenesis, and dynamics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Diabetes and Obesity)

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