Mice that ate a fatty diet and got daily MOTS-c shots didn’t get as fat as mice that didn’t get the shots—even though they ate the same amount of food.
Scientific Claim
In mice fed a high-fat diet, daily MOTS-c treatment (0.5 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks prevented weight gain and reduced liver fat accumulation without altering caloric intake, indicating a potential role in mitigating diet-induced obesity.
Original Statement
“MOTS-c treatment remarkably prevented obesity when administrated to mice fed a HFD... This difference in body weight was not attributed to food intake, as caloric intake was identical between the groups... Hepatic lipid accumulation was dramatically reduced in HFD-fed mice treated with MOTS-c.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
overstated
Study Design Support
Design cannot support claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The study uses causal language ('prevented obesity') but is limited to mice with no human data or randomization. Only an associative interpretation is valid.
More Accurate Statement
“In mice fed a high-fat diet, daily MOTS-c treatment (0.5 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks was associated with prevention of weight gain and reduced liver fat accumulation without altering caloric intake.”
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance
The study found that giving mice a tiny protein from their mitochondria stopped them from getting fat on a junk food diet—even though they ate the same amount—so it might help fight obesity without needing to eat less.