Study record

MOTS-c primes adrenal cortex metabolism without directly driving steroidogenesis

Blatkiewicz M, Kaminski K, Sobalska-Kwapis M et al. · Folia Histochem Cytobiol · 2026

AnimalMOTS-c administeredEvidence tier C
PubMed 41811086doi:10.5603/fhc.110668Compare with another study

What this study reported

Reported that administered MOTS-c did not alter classical steroidogenic genes or circulating corticosterone and aldosterone in male rats, while RNA sequencing identified 39 differentially expressed adrenal genes, including higher P2ry4 and Apoc4 and lower Bag3, Smurf2, Slc25a30 and Pex11a. Gene set enrichment indicated lower cAMP response, mitophagy and histone deacetylation signals with higher proliferation signals in rat adrenal tissue.

Limitations

Small single-sex rat sample with a short observation window; transcriptomic findings are descriptive and not functionally validated; no stimulated (ACTH or stress) condition tested.

Study record

Annotated fields for this study
Study modelAnimal study (in vivo)
Substance studiedMOTS-c administeredSynthetic MOTS-c was given to cells, animals or people.
Speciesrat
System studiedAdult male Wistar rats given continuous MOTS-c by subcutaneous micro-osmotic pump; adrenal tissue analysed
PopulationNot reported
DesignControlled animal experiment with RNA sequencing
Sample size as reported16 adult male Wistar rats
Control groupsaline-infused rats
Route (data field only)subcutaneous
Endpoints measuredsteroidogenic gene expression; circulating corticosterone and aldosterone; adrenal transcriptome (RNA-seq); zone-specific MOTS-c expression
Pathways measuredAMPK signalling · AKT / mTOR / FOXO · Autophagy / mitophagy · Lipid metabolism
Research areasMetabolic · Mitochondrial biology
Evidence tierC — Animal in vivo
Publication typesJournal 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
Small
Controls
Appropriate
Outcome validity
Exploratory
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.