Intestinal catabolism of dietary fructose promotes obesity and insulin resistance via ileal lacteal remodeling

Lopez, M. L.; Kang, T.; Espeleta, A.; Rubtsova, V. I.; Baek, J.; Songcuan, J.; Moyer, E. M.; Kim, J.; Song, W.-S.; Jung, S.; D'Sa, N.; Anica, A.; Tran, E.; Chun, Y.; Choi, W.; Jang, K.-H.; Kelly, M. E.; Tamburini, I. J.; Alam, Y. H.; Le, J.; Ramirez, C. B.; Kataru, R. P.; Hong, S. P.; Nicholas, D. A.; Xue, K. S.; Lee, G.; Bae, H.; Jang, C.

doi:10.1101/2025.08.18.670963

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.08.18.670963

Intestinal catabolism of dietary fructose promotes obesity and insulin resistance via ileal lacteal remodeling

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Abstract

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption is a risk factor for obesity and metabolic syndrome, yet the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Catabolism of dietary fructose primarily occurs in the small intestine and liver, with fructose breakdown in the liver being pathological, while small intestinal fructose clearance protects the liver. Here, we unexpectedly found that inhibition of fructose catabolism specifically in the small intestine mitigates fructose-induced obesity and insulin resistance. Mechanistically, blocking intestinal fructose catabolism reduces dietary fat absorption, which is associated with a decrease in the surface area of the ileal lacteals and alterations in gut microbiome. Fecal transplantation experiments revealed that such a microbiome stimulates the intestine-resident macrophages, promoting lacteal growth and boosting dietary fat absorption. Given the preclinical and clinical studies reporting the effect of fructose catabolism suppression on mitigating diet-induced obesity, our data suggest that such effects are partly mediated by intestinal lacteal remodeling. Significance StatementHere, we uncover a previously unappreciated link between intestinal fructose catabolism and ileal lacteal remodeling, suggesting the mechanisms by which fructose intake promotes obesity. Using mice lacking the fructose-processing enzyme specifically in the intestine, we show that blocking intestinal fructose metabolism protects against diet-induced obesity by reducing fat absorption. Changes in gut microbiome and immune cell interactions drive this effect.

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Lopez, M. L., Kang, T., Espeleta, A., Rubtsova, V. I., Baek, J., Songcuan, J., Moyer, E. M., Kim, J., Song, W.-S., Jung, S., D'Sa, N., Anica, A., Tran, E., Chun, Y., Choi, W., Jang, K.-H., Kelly, M. E., Tamburini, I. J., Alam, Y. H., Le, J., Ramirez, C. B., Kataru, R. P., Hong, S. P., Nicholas, D. A., Xue, K. S., Lee, G., Bae, H., Jang, C.. 2025-08-22. Intestinal catabolism of dietary fructose promotes obesity and insulin resistance via ileal lacteal remodeling. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.18.670963

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