Study record
Aerobic exercise and MOTS-c attenuate diabetic myocardial fibrosis via inhibition of the THBS1/TGF-β signaling pathway
Li Z, Wang T, Fu Y et al. · Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) · 2026
AnimalMOTS-c administeredEvidence tier C
What this study reported
Reported that aerobic exercise and administered MOTS-c were each associated with lower myocardial collagen accumulation, improved systolic and diastolic function and improved glucose and lipid measures in diabetic rats. Transcriptomic profiling identified THBS1, with reduced THBS1/TGF-beta pathway signal at mRNA and protein level.
Limitations
Group sizes and randomisation are not reported in the abstract; a single rodent diabetes model; mechanism rests on expression changes without loss-of-function testing.
Study record
| Study model | Animal study (in vivo) |
|---|---|
| Substance studied | MOTS-c administeredSynthetic MOTS-c was given to cells, animals or people. |
| Species | rat |
| System studied | Rat model of type 2 diabetes with myocardial fibrosis; aerobic exercise and administered MOTS-c arms |
| Population | Not reported |
| Design | Controlled animal experiment with transcriptomic profiling |
| Sample size as reported | not reported |
| Control group | untrained, untreated diabetic animals |
| Route (data field only) | Not reported |
| Endpoints measured | myocardial collagen deposition; systolic and diastolic cardiac function; glucose and lipid measures; THBS1/TGF-beta pathway expression |
| Pathways measured | TGF-β / SMAD · Lipid metabolism · Insulin & glucose handling |
| Research areas | Cardiovascular · Metabolic · Exercise |
| Evidence tier | C — Animal in vivo |
| Publication types | Journal Article |
Appraisal
Each dimension is recorded separately and never combined into a single score. A study can be well controlled and still tell you little about people.
- Relevance to MOTS-c
- Direct
- Model applicability
- Mammalian
- Sample size
- Not reported
- Controls
- Appropriate
- Outcome validity
- Surrogate
- Support for its own conclusion
- Moderate
Provenance
- Bibliographic fields retrieved from PubMed E-utilities efetch (title, journal, date, authors, DOI) on 2026-11-11.
- Annotated from the published abstract.
- Editorial review: approved (2026-11-11).
- Classification follows the site methodology; the record describes the study, not what MOTS-c does in people.