Equol, a metabolite of gut microbiota, attenuates liver steatosis via the SIRT1/HNF4α pathway in NAFLD mice

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a potentially severe liver disease that increases evidence indicates that gut microbiota is related to it. In the study, 16S rRNA sequencing was used to analyze changes in gut microbiota and metabolomics were used to analyze metabolites in intestinal contents, serum, and liver. The study found that the abundance of Prevotella, Lactobacillus, and Bacteroides decreased. Meanwhile, equol, a microbe-derived metabolite from daidzein, decreased significantly in intestinal contents and liver of NAFLD mice induced by HFD. Then, by transplanting the feces of NAFLD mice to the control mice, it was found that the control mice had a phenotype similar to that of NAFLD, with the level of equol in serum and intestinal contents decreasing too. Further study indicated that equol alleviated NAFLD, and its mechanism was related to the SIRT1/HNF4α pathway. It provided a promising way for the intervention of NAFLD.