Research

Hormonal

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) suppress hepatic glycolytic and lipogenic gene expression (specifically L-PK and FAS) by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of the transcription factor ChREBP, a mechanism independent of AMPK activation.

Consuming polyunsaturated fats (like those found in fish oil, flaxseed, or sunflower oil) alongside carbohydrates can actively suppress the liver's genetic instructions to produce new fat and break down sugar for energy. This happens because PUFAs block the 'transport' of the key regulator (ChREBP) into the cell nucleus, preventing it from turning on fat-making genes. This specific effect is not seen with saturated fats (like butter) or monounsaturated fats (like olive oil).

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Our results demonstrate that the suppressive effect of PUFAs on these genes is primarily caused by an alteration of ChREBP nuclear translocation.
Renaud Dentin · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2005

Why this rating

High-quality in vivo (mouse) and in vitro (hepatocyte) studies with rigorous controls (AMPK knockout mice, mutant overexpression), though not human clinical trials.

Source

Polyunsaturated fatty acids suppress glycolytic and lipogenic genes through the inhibition of ChREBP nuclear protein translocation

Renaud Dentin · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2005

DOI 10.1172/jci25256

mechanism_onlyCited 314×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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