Molecular Mechanisms of Metabolic Syndrome Induced by High Fructose Diet: A Review

Fructose was popularly used in diet due to its high sweetness and low impact on blood sugar levels. High fructose diets are common in Western countries. With economic development, the per capita fructose intake in China has been increasing year by year, and the relationship between fructose and health has become a research hotspot. The absorption and metabolism of fructose in vivo can activate multiple signaling pathways including PI3K/Akt, NF- κ B, JAK-STAT, AMPK, MAPK and toll like receptors etc., which could down or up regulate the level of downstream signaling molecules, and cause the occurrence of metabolic syndrome such as obesity and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. The absorption and metabolism molecular signal pathways involved in fructose induced metabolic syndrome were summarized and reviewed in this paper, which could provide reference for the rational consumption and further research of biological effects of fructose.