Intestine-derived sorbitol drives steatotic liver disease in the absence of gut bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is linked to a shift in the composition of the gut microbiome. Here, we found that depletion of the gut microbiome in adult zebrafish led to the development of steatotic liver disease in animals on standard diets. Using metabolomics and isotope tracing, we found that dietary glucose was converted to sorbitol by host intestinal cells. Although bacteria degraded sorbitol in control animals, sorbitol was transferred to the livers of fish when the gut microbiome had been depleted. Within the liver, sorbitol was converted into fructose 1-phosphate, which subsequently activated glucokinase and increased glycolytic flux, leading to increased hepatic glycogen and fat content. Inhibition of sorbitol production in microbiome-depleted a

SUBMITTER: Jackstadt MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12785162 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature