Obesity is known to induce
inhibition of
glucose uptake, reduction of
lipid metabolism, and progressive loss of
skeletal muscle function, which are all associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in
skeletal muscle.
Mitochondria are dynamic
organelles that regulate cellular
metabolism and
bioenergetics, including
ATP production via
oxidative phosphorylation. Due to these critical
roles of
mitochondria, mitochondrial dysfunction results in various
diseases such as
obesity and
type 2 diabetes.
Obesity is associated with impairment of mitochondrial function (e.g., decrease in O2
respiration and increase in
oxidative stress) in
skeletal muscle. The balance between
mitochondrial fusion and fission is critical to maintain mitochondrial
homeostasis in
skeletal muscle.
Obesity impairs
mitochondrial dynamics, leading to an unbalance between fusion and fission by favorably shifting fission or reducing fusion
proteins.
Mitophagy is the catabolic process of damaged or unnecessary
mitochondria.
Obesity reduces
mitochondrial biogenesis in
skeletal muscle and increases accumulation of dysfunctional cellular
organelles, suggesting that
mitophagy does not
work properly in
obesity. Mitochondrial dysfunction and
oxidative stress are reported to trigger
apoptosis, and mitochondrial
apoptosis is induced by
obesity in
skeletal muscle. It is well known that
exercise is the most effective intervention to protect against
obesity. Although the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which
exercise protects against
obesity-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in
skeletal muscle are not clearly elucidated,
exercise training attenuates mitochondrial dysfunction, allows
mitochondria to maintain the balance between
mitochondrial dynamics and
mitophagy, and reduces apoptotic signaling in obese
skeletal muscle.