MOTS-c helps diabetic rat hearts work better
Mitochondria-derived peptide MOTS-c restores mitochondrial respiration in type 2 diabetic heart
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists gave a special peptide called MOTS-c to diabetic rats and found it helped their hearts work better by improving how mitochondria (the cell's power plants) produce energy. This led to lower blood sugar and less heart thickening.
Surprising Findings
MOTS-c improved mitochondrial function without changing ATP production or ROS levels under normal conditions
Most treatments aim to boost ATP or reduce ROS, but MOTS-c worked by improving oxygen flux and energy efficiency — a more subtle but potentially more sustainable fix.
Practical Takeaways
Consider MOTS-c as a potential future therapy for diabetic heart complications — especially if you’re researching metabolic health or peptide therapies.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists gave a special peptide called MOTS-c to diabetic rats and found it helped their hearts work better by improving how mitochondria (the cell's power plants) produce energy. This led to lower blood sugar and less heart thickening.
Surprising Findings
MOTS-c improved mitochondrial function without changing ATP production or ROS levels under normal conditions
Most treatments aim to boost ATP or reduce ROS, but MOTS-c worked by improving oxygen flux and energy efficiency — a more subtle but potentially more sustainable fix.
Practical Takeaways
Consider MOTS-c as a potential future therapy for diabetic heart complications — especially if you’re researching metabolic health or peptide therapies.
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Physiology
Year
2025
Authors
T. Pham, A. Taberner, Anthony J. Hickey, June-Chiew Han
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Claims (6)
Mitochondrial health serves as the bridge between fat loss and performance, and effective peptide stacking requires combining interventions with different mechanisms, such as tesamorelin (growth hormone/IGF-1 pathway) and MOTS-c (AMPK/mitochondrial energy sensing pathway), which act through distinct but complementary pathways to enhance mitochondrial function.
When diabetic rats were given MOTS-c daily for three weeks, their heart walls became slightly thinner, which is a sign of less heart enlargement.
Diabetic rats had weaker heart mitochondria energy production, but MOTS-c treatment helped improve it back to normal levels.
Diabetic rats given MOTS-c had lower blood sugar levels after fasting, showing better control of glucose.
MOTS-c treatment made the diabetic rats' heart cells have more mitochondria, which are the energy factories of cells.