Journal of Sport and Exercise Physiology

Journal of Sport and Exercise Physiology

Bioinformatic analysis of gene networks and transcriptional pathway analysis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in response to exercise training

Document Type : review article

Authors
Zahra Asheghi
Sayed Mohammad Marandi
Department of Sport Sciences,University of Isfahan, Isfahan,Iran
10.48308/joeppa.2024.236599.1288
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of liver dysfunction, and its prevalence has increased significantly. Based on the research conducted, physical activity while increasing the expression of proteins such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) with increasing energy consumption causes a decrease in the accumulation of fat in the liver and thus affects NAFLD. The goal of the present study is to identify critical genes and key pathways associated with NAFLD, and to analyze the gene networks involved in this disease, alongside the impact of exercise on these pathways. Furthermore, bioinformatics analyses have been conducted to clarify the interactions between these genes and pathways. We determined the pathways by using the analyzed transcriptional data and hub genes involved in NAFLD-related pathways. Network cluster analysis confirmed the result of Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. The discovered genes are fatty acid synthase (FASN), acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1), Sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 (SREBF1-c), PPARα, which are involved in the processes of pathogenesis or resistance to NAFLD. The results of this study provide a list of hub genes, important pathways and new insights for the future development of NAFLD treatment and elucidate the underlying mechanism of liver response to exercise.
Keywords
Bioinformatics
Protein-protein interaction
Gene networks
Non-alcoholic fatty liver
Exercise
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 14 August 2024
  • Revise Date 09 October 2024
  • Accept Date 31 October 2024
  • First Publish Date 31 October 2024
  • Publish Date 22 October 2024