High fructose consumption increases liver GLUT-2 expression and the benefits of exercise on the liver metabolism: A literature review

Abstract

The increase in fructose consumption over the past century is associated with the rising prevalence of metabolic disorders such as obesity, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), and insulin resistance. Consuming fructose excessively can exacerbate the detrimental effects of a high-fat diet, resulting in obesity and inflammation. Elevated fructose in hepatocytes also stimulates the expression of lipogenic enzymes, leading to increased hepatic insulin resistance due to lipid accumulation. Intrahepatic insulin resistance conditions trigger an upregulation of hepatic GLUT-2 expression, further worsening metabolic disruptions. Exercise becomes an alternative therapy with positive effects on liver metabolism, including improved insulin sensitivity, reduced lipid accumulation, and glucose homeostasis. The study using a literature review design. The selected articles were sourced from PubMed and ScienceDirect with keywords "high fructose", "GLUT-2", "liver", "exercise", "metabolic disorders", and "insulin resistance". This literature review aims to discuss the mechanism of the high fructose consumption effects on the upregulation of hepatic GLUT-2 expression and the benefits of exercise in improving liver metabolism.