Impact of nutrient overload on metabolic homeostasis

Abstract

Nutrient overload occurs worldwide as a consequence of the modern diet pattern and the physical inactivity that sometimes accompanies it. Cells initiate multiple protective mechanisms to adapt to elevated intracellular metabolites and restore metabolic homeostasis, but irreversible injury to the cells can occur in the event of prolonged nutrient overload. Many studies have advanced the understanding of the different detrimental effects of nutrient overload; however, few reports have made connections and given the full picture of the impact of nutrient overload on cellular metabolism. In this review, detailed changes in metabolic and energy homeostasis caused by chronic nutrient overload, as well as their associations with the development of metabolic disorders, are discussed. Overnutrition-induced changes in key organelles and sensors rewire cellular bioenergetic pathways and facilitate the shift of the metabolic state toward biosynthesis, thereby leading to the onset of various metabolic disorders, which are essentially the downstream manifestations of a misbalanced metabolic equilibrium. Based on these mechanisms, potential therapeutic targets for metabolic disorders and new research directions are proposed.