Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (35): 7611-7619.doi: 10.12307/2026.522

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Lipophagy, exercise intervention and prevention and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Ji Long1, Chen Ziyang1, 2, Jin Pan3, Kong Xiangkui1, Pu Rui1, 2   

  1. 1College of Education and Sports Sciences, 2Human Science Laboratory of Exercise, 3Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China
  • Received:2024-12-05 Accepted:2025-01-25 Online:2025-12-18 Published:2025-05-07
  • Contact: Kong Xiangkui, Associate professor, Master’s supervisor, College of Education and Sports Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China Co-corresponding author: Pu Rui, Lecturer, Master’s supervisor, College of Education and Sports Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China; Human Science Laboratory of Exercise, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China
  • About author:Ji Long, College of Education and Sports Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81860386 (to JP); 2022 Jingzhou Healthcare Science and Technology Program, No. 2022HC36 (to JP); 2024 Youth Project of Social Science Foundation of Yangtze University, No. 2024csq006 (to CZY)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Lipophagy is closely related to a variety of chronic metabolic diseases. Exercise can delay the pathological process of non-alcoholic fatty liver by regulating lipophagy, which has become one of the most popular studies in the field of sports medicine.
OBJECTIVE: To summarize the regulatory role of lipophagy in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and the mechanism of exercise-mediated lipophagy in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
METHODS: CNKI, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant literature published from 1980 to 2025, using the search terms of “lipophagy, lipid metabolism, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, aerobic exercise, resistance training, combined aerobic resistance exercise” in Chinese and English. Totally 98 documents were included according to inclusion and exclusion criteria.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Lipophagy plays an important regulatory role in the prevention and treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. (2) Different types of exercises affect lipophagy: Aerobic exercise can play a beneficial role can regulate the expression of lipophagy related factors, enhance autophagy flow, improve lysosome biosynthesis and promote the decomposition of lipase. Resistance training can increase the expression of autophagy related factors in adipose tissue. Combined aerobic resistance exercise can increase fat oxidation rate and improve insulin sensitivity. (3) Exercise can treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by improving liver inflammation, insulin resistance, and liver function. (4) Exercise plays a key role in the prevention and treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver by regulating lipophagy, reducing lipid accumulation, inhibiting steatosis, alleviating liver inflammation and fibrosis and improving insulin resistance.

Key words: lipophagy, lipid metabolism, factor, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, aerobic exercise, resistance training, combined aerobic resistance exercise, review

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