Longevity & AgingExercise Peptide MOTS-c Blocks Key Fibrosis Pathway in Diabetic Hearts
Researchers at Chengdu Sport University tested eight weeks of aerobic exercise and MOTS-c injections—alone and combined—in type 2 diabetic rats. Both interventions improved blood glucose and lipid profiles, reduced cardiac collagen deposition, and restored systolic and diastolic heart function. Transcriptomic profiling identified THBS1 as the pivotal gene altered by both treatments, with downstream suppression of TGF-β signaling confirmed at mRNA and protein levels. Because many diabetic patients struggle to maintain exercise regimens, MOTS-c—a mitochondria-derived peptide that rises naturally during exercise—offers a promising pharmacological alternative, or complement, for preventing diabetic cardiomyopathy progression.
