In this study we first focused on the effects of a novel proteoglycan extracted from Ganoderma lucidum (FYGL) on mitochondrial biogenesis, because mitochondrial dysfunction is highly related to insulin resistance. We found that FYGL can decrease ROS levels and increase ATP content in rat skeletal muscle L6 cells. In PGC-1α silent cells, FYGL increased expression of PGC-1α and positively modulated the Sirt1/PGC-1α pathway. Moreover, FYGL orally administered up-regulated the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number and the related gene expressions that control mitochondrial biogenesis in ob/ob mice. Our work well elucidated the mechanism of FYGL ameliorating insulin resistance in the aspect of energy metabolism.
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