Soluble and insoluble dietary fibres differentially affect liver steatosis and gut microbiota in western-diet fed mice

Martin, C. M. P.; Miquel, M.; Alquier-Bacquie, V.; Polizzi, A.; Lasserre, F.; Huillet, M.; Rives, C.; Bruse, J.; Jarrasier, J.; Perrier, P.; Gomes, J.; Naylies, C.; Dauriat, C.; Geoffre, N.; Durbec, A.; Duchampt, A.; Thirault, A.; Blanc, X.; Rousseau-Bacquie, E.; Lippi, Y.; Bertrand-Michel, J.; Canlet, C.; Chassaing, B.; Fougerat, A.; Gamet-Payrastre, L.; Gautier-Stein, A.; Guilllou, H.; Loiseau, N.; Ellero-Simatos, S.

doi:10.1101/2025.11.26.690531

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.11.26.690531

Soluble and insoluble dietary fibres differentially affect liver steatosis and gut microbiota in western-diet fed mice

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Abstract

ScopeMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common chronic hepatic liver disease. An imbalance diet, rich in lipids and sugars and low in fibre, is a key contributing factor. However, there is limited knowledge about how soluble and fermentable dietary fibres, compared to insoluble and non-fermentable fibres, differently affect liver metabolism through their interactions with the intestinal microbiota. Methods and resultsMale mice housed at thermoneutrality were fed a Western Diet (WD) supplemented with fermentable inulin or non-fermentable cellulose for 18 weeks. Inulin supplementation mitigated WD-induced obesity, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia and protected against WD-induced hepatic steatosis compared to cellulose. Hepatic gene expression changes induced by WD were attenuated with inulin. Additionally, inulin preserved gut microbiota composition and metabolism, indicating greater resilience against diet-induced perturbations. ConclusionThese findings suggest that soluble dietary fibres like inulin confer superior metabolic and hepatic benefits over insoluble fibres by modulating the gut microbiota-liver axis, highlighting their potential role in MASLD management.

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Martin, C. M. P., Miquel, M., Alquier-Bacquie, V., Polizzi, A., Lasserre, F., Huillet, M., Rives, C., Bruse, J., Jarrasier, J., Perrier, P., Gomes, J., Naylies, C., Dauriat, C., Geoffre, N., Durbec, A., Duchampt, A., Thirault, A., Blanc, X., Rousseau-Bacquie, E., Lippi, Y., Bertrand-Michel, J., Canlet, C., Chassaing, B., Fougerat, A., Gamet-Payrastre, L., Gautier-Stein, A., Guilllou, H., Loiseau, N., Ellero-Simatos, S.. 2025-12-01. Soluble and insoluble dietary fibres differentially affect liver steatosis and gut microbiota in western-diet fed mice. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.11.26.690531

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