The inhibition of inner mitochondrial fusion in hepatocytes reduces NAFL and improves metabolic profile during obesity by modulating bile acid conjugation.

Patients with NAFLD present increased expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial fusion in the liver. The selective inhibition of liver mitochondrial fusion observed in hepatocyte OPA1 deficient mice protects mice from HFD-induced metabolic dysfunction by reducing lipid dietary absorption and bile acid secretion as a consequence of reduced liver mitochondria-peroxisome-ER tethering.