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We aimed to analyze the impact of a single CrossFit® session “workout of the day” (WOD) on plasma redox. Ten CrossFit®-experienced subjects volunteered to participate. Oxygen uptake (VO2) during WOD and treadmill running (TR), performed at the same VO2 and time as WOD, were continuously monitored. Venous blood samples were collected before (baseline—BL) and after both exercises, for lactate concentration, total antioxidant capacity, thiol content, and DNA damage measurements. Total antioxidant capacity decreased after both exercises (WOD and TR) vs. BL, with no differences between exercises. Thiol content increased after WOD, however, no differences between exercises were observed. DNA damage increased after both WOD and TR, although more exuberantly after WOD than TR. Much higher lactate levels were detected in WOD compared to TR. Our findings suggest that WOD induces an increased condition of oxidative injury and affects total antioxidant capacity in experienced CrossFit® performers.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with a high-risk for metabolic complications in offspring. However, exercise is recognized as a non-pharmacological strategy against metabolic disorders and is recommended in GDM treatment. This study aimed to investigate whether gestational exercise (GE) could modulate maternal high-fat high-sucrose (HFHS) diet-related hepatic metabolic and mitochondrial outcomes in female offspring of mothers with HFHS-induced GDM. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with control or HFHS diet and kept sedentary or submitted to GE. Their female offspring were fed with control diet and kept sedentary. Hepatic lipid accumulation, lipid metabolism regulators, mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics markers, and microRNAs associated to the regulation of these markers were evaluated. Female offspring of GDM mothers showed increased body weight at early age, whereas GE prevented this effect of maternal HFHS-feeding and reduced hepatic lipid accumulation. GE stimulated hepatic mRNA transcription and protein expression of mitochondrial biogenesis markers (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator-1alpha and mitochondrial transcription factor A) and mRNA transcription of mitochondrial dynamics markers (mitofusin-1, mitofusin-2, and dynamin-related protein-1) that were altered by maternal GDM, while mitochondrial dynamics markers protein expression was not affected by maternal diet/GE except for optic atrophy-1. MicroRNAs associated with these processes (miR-122, miR-34a, miR-130b, miR-494), and the expression of auto/mitophagy- and apoptosis-related proteins were not substantially influenced by altered intrauterine environment. Our findings suggest that GE is an important regulator of the intrauterine environment positively affecting liver metabolism and promoting liver mitochondrial biogenesis in female offspring despite eventual effects of maternal HFHS-feeding and related GDM. Highlights: Maternal lifestyle can affect hepatic metabolic status of their female offspring; Female offspring hepatic metabolism is affected by maternal high-fat/sucrose diet; Gestational exercise mitigated maternal diet-related harmful outcomes on offspring liver; Gestational exercise is an important regulator of offspring mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics; Exercise programs should be encouraged in clinical counseling during pregnancy. This work was supported by the EU's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (No.722619, FOIE GRAS; No.734719, mtFOIE GRAS) and by the Por tuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) (FCT/UID/DTP/00617/2020-base; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016690-PTDC/DTP-DES/7087/2014; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016657-PTDC/DTP-DES/1082/2014), to JB (SFRH/BD/129645/2017). info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeting Mitochondria in Metabolic Diseases 2.0. Mothers' antenatal strategies to improve the intrauterine environment can positively decrease pregnancy-derived intercurrences. By challenging the mother-fetus unit, gestational exercise (GE) favorably modulates deleterious stimuli, such as high-fat, high-sucrose (HFHS) diet-induced adverse consequences for offspring. We aimed to analyze whether GE alters maternal HFHS-consumption effects on male offspring's maximal workload performance (MWP) and in some skeletal muscle (the soleus-SOL and the tibialis anterior-TA) biomarkers associated with mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative fitness. Infant male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into experimental groups according to mothers' dietary and/or exercise conditions: offspring of sedentary control diet-fed or HFHS-fed mothers (C-S or HFHS-S, respectively) and of exercised HFHS-fed mothers (HFHS-E). Although maternal HFHS did not significantly alter MWP, offspring from GE dams exhibited increased MWP. Lower SOL AMPk levels in HFHS-S were reverted by GE. SOL PGC-1α, OXPHOS C-I and C-IV subunits remained unaltered by maternal diet, although increased in HFHS-E offspring. Additionally, GE prevented maternal diet-related SOL miR-378a overexpression, while upregulated miR-34a expression. Decreased TA C-IV subunit expression in HFHS-S was reverted in HFHS-E, concomitantly with the downregulation of miR-338. In conclusion, GE in HFHS-fed dams increases the offspring's MWP, which seems to be associated with the intrauterine modulation of SM mitochondrial density and functional markers. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Grant/Award Number: POCI-01- 0145-FEDER 016657-PTDC/DTP- DES/1082/2014, POCI-01-0145-FEDER- 016690-PTDC/DTP-DES/7087/2014, SFRH/BD/129645/2017 and UIDB/00617/2020-base; H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Grant/Award Number: 722619 and 734719. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Maternal high-caloric nutrition and related gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are relevant modulators of the intrauterine environment, increasing the risk of liver metabolic alterations in mothers and offspring. In contrast, as a non-pharmacological approach against metabolic disorders, exercise is highly recommended in GDM treatment. We analysed whether gestational exercise (GE) protects mothers from diet-induced GDM metabolic consequences and mitigates liver mitochondrial deleterious alterations in their 6-week-old male offspring. Female Sprague Dawley rats were fed with control or high-fat high-sucrose (HFHS) diet and kept sedentary or submitted to GE. Male offspring were sedentary and fed with control diet. Sedentary HFHS mothers and their offspring showed impaired hepatic mitochondrial biogenesis and morphological evidence of mitochondrial remodelling. In contrast, GE-related beneficial effects were demonstrated by upregulation of mitochondrial biogenesis signalling markers and mitochondrial fusion proteins and downregulation of mitochondrial fission protein. Alterations in miR-34a, miR-130b, and miR-494, associated with epigenetic regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis, suggested that GE is a more critical modulator of intergenerational changes in miRs expression than the maternal diet. Our data showed that GE positively modulated the altered hepatic mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics markers and quality control signalling associated with maternal HFHS-diet-related GDM in mothers and offspring.

SPECIAL ISSUE: 'FOIEGRAS-Bioenergetic Remodelling in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease'. Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) emerges as significant health burden worldwide. Lifestyle changes, unhealthy dietary habits and physical inactivity, can trigger NAFLD development. Persisting on these habits during pregnancy affects in utero environment and prompts a specific metabolic response in foetus resulting in offspring metabolic maladjustments potentially critical for developing NAFLD later in life. The increasing prevalence of NAFLD, particularly in children, has shifted the research focus towards preventive and therapeutic strategies. Yet, designing effective approaches that can break the NAFLD intergenerational cycle becomes even more complicated. Regular physical exercise (PE) is a powerful non-pharmacological strategy known to counteract deleterious metabolic outcomes. In this narrative review, we aimed to briefly describe NAFLD pathogenesis focusing on maternal nutritional challenge and foetal programming, and to provide potential mechanisms behind the putative intergenerational effect of PE against metabolic diseases, including liver diseases. Methods Following detailed electronic database search, recent existing evidence about NAFLD development, intergenerational programming and gestational exercise effects was critically analysed and discussed. Results PE during pregnancy could have a great potential to counteract intergenerational transmission of metabolic burden. The interplay between different PE roles-metabolic, endocrine and epigenetic-could offer a more stable in utero environment to the foetus, thus rescuing offspring vulnerability to metabolic disturbances. Conclusions The better understanding of maternal PE beneficial consequences on offspring metabolism could reinforce the importance of PE during pregnancy as an indispensable strategy in improving offspring health.

'Special issue - In Utero and Early Life Programming of Aging and Disease'. Skeletal muscle (SM) adaptations to physical exercise (PE) have been extensively studied due, not only to the relevance of its in situ plasticity, but also to the SM endocrine-like effects in noncontractile tissues, such as brain, liver or adipocytes. Regular PE has been considered a pleiotropic nonpharmacological strategy to prevent and counteract the deleterious consequences of several metabolic, cardiovascular, oncological and neurodegenerative disorders. Additionally, PE performed by parents seems to have a direct impact in the offspring through the transgenerational programming of different tissues, such as SM. In fact, SM offspring programming mechanisms seems to be orchestrated, at least in part, by epigenetic machinery conditioning transcriptional or post-transcriptional processes. Ultimately, PE performed in the early in life is also a critical window of opportunity to positively modulate the juvenile and adult phenotype. Parental PE has a positive impact in several health-related offspring outcomes, such as SM metabolism, differentiation, morphology and ultimately in offspring exercise volition and endurance. Also, early-life PE counteracts conceptional-related adverse effects and induces long-lasting healthy benefits throughout adulthood. Additionally, epigenetics mechanisms seem to play a key role in the PE-induced SM adaptations. Despite the undoubtedly positive role of parental and early-life PE on SM phenotype, a strong research effort is still needed to better understand the mechanisms that positively regulate PE-induced SM programming.

Background Maternal high-caloric nutrition and related gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are associated with a high-risk for developing metabolic complications later in life and in their offspring. In contrast, exercise is recognized as a non-pharmacological strategy against metabolic dysfunctions associated to lifestyle disorders. Therefore, we investigated whether gestational exercise delays the development of metabolic alterations in GDM mothers later in life, but also protects 6-week-old male offspring from adverse effects of maternal diet. Methods Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with either control (C) or high-fat high-sucrose (HFHS) diet to induce GDM and submitted to gestational exercise during the 3 weeks of pregnancy. Male offspring were sedentary and fed with C-diet. Results Sedentary HFHS-fed dams exhibited increased gestational body weight gain (p

Significance: The prevalence and incidence of age-related neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) tend to increase along with the enhanced average of the world life expectancy. NDDs are a major cause of morbidity and disability, affecting the health care, social and economic systems with a significant impact. Critical Issues and Recent Advances: Despite the worldwide burden of NDDs and the ongoing research efforts to increase the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in NDD pathophysiologies, pharmacological therapies have been presenting merely narrow benefits. On the contrary, absent of detrimental side effects but growing merits, regular physical exercise (PE) has been considered a prone pleiotropic nonpharmacological alternative able to modulate brain structure and function, thereby stimulating a healthier and "fitness" neurological phenotype. Future Directions: This review summarizes the state of the art of some peripheral and central-related mechanisms that underlie the impact of PE on brain plasticity as well as its relevance for the prevention and/or treatment of NDDs. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to better clarify the molecular signaling pathways associated with muscle contractions-related myokines release and its plausible positive effects in the brain. In addition, particular focus of research should address the role of PE in the modulation of mitochondrial metabolism and oxidative stress in the context of NDDs.

Cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH, EC 1.1.99.18) from white rot fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium can be used for constructing biosensors and biofuel cells, for bleaching cotton in textile industry, and recently, the enzyme has found an important application in biomedicine as an antimicrobial and antibiofilm agent. Stability and activity of the wild-type (wt) CDH and mutants at methionine residues in the presence of hydrogen peroxide were investigated. Saturation mutagenesis libraries were made at the only methionine in heme domain M65 and two methionines M685 and M738 in the flavin domain that were closest to the active site. After screening the libraries, three mutants with increased activity and stability in the presence of peroxide were found, M65F with 70% of residual activity after 6 h of incubation in 0.3 M hydrogen peroxide, M738S with 80% of residual activity and M685Y with over 90% of residual activity compared to wild-type CDH that retained 40% of original activity. Combined mutants showed no activity. The most stable mutant M685Y with 5.8 times increased half-life in the presence of peroxide showed also 2.5 times increased kcat for lactose compared to wtCDH and could be good candidate for applications in biofuel cells and biocatalysis for lactobionic acid production.

Apart from being conditioned by cognitive development, the development, understanding and use of the metaphor influence not only linguistic development in terms of enriching and structuring vocabulary and semantics, but also the general verbal ability of every individual. The aim of our research was to examine the development and understanding of the ability for drawing comparisons and language metaphors in children of preschool age. We also tried to determine whether there were differences in this respect regarding the gender of the students. The research sample consisted of 81 children of age 6-7 from different preschool institutions in Belgrade. The development and understanding of metaphors were tested by applying the subtests 'Comparison and Metaphorical Transfer of the Lexical-Semantical Test' written by Z. Kašić. The obtained results indicate that pre­school children possess a developed ability for drawing comparisons. The results are also indicative of the fact that the metaphor exists in the language of preschool children, but it is not fully developed nor understood. The research also established that there were no differences relative to the gender in the level of adoption of comparisons and metaphors. Given the children's age and the fact that the un­derstanding of different events, actions and activities is directly linked to understanding metaphorical structures, the lower achievement of the preschool children can be attributed to a gradual develop­ment of the metaphorisation ability. Such findings were expected. Razvijenost, razumevanje i upotreba metafore utiču ne samo na jezički razvoj u smislu bogaćenja i strukturiranja leksike i semantike već i na opštu verbalnu sposobnost svakog pojedinca, a uslovljeni su i kognitivnim razvojem. Cilj našeg istraživanja bio je da ispitamo razvijenost i razumevanje sposobnosti poređenja i jezičkih metafora kod dece na predškolskom uzrastu. Takođe, ispitivali smo da li u ovom pogledu postoje razlike s obzirom na pol učenika. U istraživanju je učestvovalo osamdeset i jedno dete predškolskog uzrasta starosti od šest do sedam godina, iz predškolskih ustanova u Beogradu. Primenom suptestova Poređenje i Metaforički prenos Leksičko-semantičkog testa autorke Z. Kašić procenjeni su razvijenost i razumevanje metafore. Rezultati ispitivanja ukazuju da deca na predškolskom uzrastu imaju razvijenu sposobnost poređenja. Dobijeni nalazi upućuju na postojanje, ali ne i na potpunu razvijenost i razumevanje metafore u jeziku dece predškolskog uzrasta. Ustanovljeno je da na ovom uzrastu između devojčica i dečaka nema razlike u nivou usvojenosti poređenja i metafore. Imajući u vidu uzrast dece i činjenicu da su mnogobrojna razumevanja događaja, akcija i aktivnosti direktno povezana sa shvatanjem metaforičkih struktura, niže postignuće dece na pred­školskom uzrastu se može pripisati postupnosti razvoja sposobnosti metaforizacije, što se može smatrati očekivanim nalazom.

Although limb–girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD) can cause permanent disability, to date there are no studies that examined quality of life (QoL) in these patients. Our aim was to evaluate QoL in patients with LGMD, and to identify the most significant predictors of QoL. The study comprised 46 patients with diagnosis of limb–girdle muscular weakness. QoL in patients was evaluated using two scales—SF-36 questionnaire and the Individualized Neuromuscular Quality of Life questionnaire (INQoL). Following scales were also applied: Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Hamilton Scale for Depression (HamD), and Krupp’s Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Mean SF-36 score was 52.4 ± 23.5, and physical composite score was worse than mental. Total INQoL score was 46.1 ± 20.4, with worst results obtained for weakness, fatigue and independence, while social relationships and emotions showed better results. Significant predictors of worse SF-36 score in LGMD patients were higher fatigue level (β = − 0.470, p

The progression of oxidative stress, resulting cell damage, and cell death underlies the etiology of liver damage/dysfunction as a complication of diabetes. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, a chromatin-binding nuclear protein and damage-associated molecular pattern molecule, is integral to oxidative stress and signaling pathways regulating cell death and cell survival. We previously found that in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, reduction of oxidative stress after melatonin administration lowered necrotic cell death and increased expression of HMGB1 and hepatocellular damage. In the present study, we examined whether alleviation of diabetes-attendant oxidative stress and ensuing change in HMGB1 expression influence the dynamic equilibrium between apoptosis/autophagy and liver damage. We observed that elevated HMGB1 protein levels in diabetic rat liver accompanied increased interactions of HMGB1 with TLR4 and RAGE, and activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and Beclin 1-dependent autophagy. The absence of p62 degradation in diabetic rat liver pointed to defective autophagy which was responsible for lower autophagosome/autophagolysosome formation and an increased apoptosis/autophagy ratio. Compared to diabetic rats, in melatonin-treated diabetic rats, the structure of liver cells was preserved, HMGB1/TLR4 interaction and downstream apoptotic signaling were significantly reduced, HMGB1/Beclin 1 colocalization and interactions were augmented and Beclin 1-mediated autophagy, mithophagy in particular, were increased. We concluded that in mild oxidative stress, HMGB1 is cytoprotective, whereas in intense oxidative stress, HMGB1 actions promote cell death and liver damage. Since reduced HMGB1 binds to RAGE but not to TLR4, redox modification of HMGB1 as a mechanism regulating the cross-talk between apoptosis and autophagy in diabetes is discussed. This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry. The final authenticated version is available online at: [http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13105-017-0574-0]

The preparation of children for the teaching of initial writing is a problem which is, in the system of unique institutional education, addressed by the preschool institution and the school. The open preschool education system includes the engagement of parents in these activities. The aim of this paper was to determine the attitudes of parents about the tasks of preschool teachers in the preparation of children for the teaching of initial writing. The research was conducted by using the descriptive method and a process of inference. A Likert-type descriptive attitude scale was used for the purposes of this research. The research results suggest that it is necessary to achieve a continuous cooperation between preschool teachers and parents in preschool institutions, in terms of informing parents about the children's possibilities and the tasks of preschool teachers in activities that prepare children for the teaching of initial writing.

Free-running wheel (FRW) is an animal exercise model that relies on high-intensity interval moments interspersed with low-intensity or pauses apparently similar to those performed in high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Therefore, this study, conducted over a 12-weeks period, aimed to compare functional, thermographic, biochemical and morphological skeletal and cardiac muscle adaptations induced by FRW and HIIT. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were assigned into three groups: sedentary rats (SED), rats that voluntarily exercise in free wheels (FRW) and rats submitted to a daily HIIT. Functional tests revealed that compared to SED both FRW and HIIT increased the ability to perform maximal workload tests (MWT-cm/s) (45 ± 1 vs. 55 ± 2 and vs. 65 ± 2). Regarding thermographic assays, FRW and HIIT increased the ability to lose heat through the tail during MWT. Histochemical analyzes performed in tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus (SOL) muscles showed a general adaptation toward a more oxidative phenotype in both FRW and HIIT. Exercise increased the percentage of fast oxidative glycolytic (FOG) in medial fields of TA (29.7 ± 2.3 vs. 44.9 ± 4.4 and vs. 45.2 ± 5.3) and slow oxidative (SO) in SOL (73.4 ± 5.7 vs. 99.5 ± 0.5 and vs. 96.4 ± 1.2). HITT decreased fiber cross-sectional area (FCSA-mm2) of SO (4350 ± 286.9 vs. 4893 ± 325 and vs. 3621 ± 237.3) in SOL. Fast glycolytic fibers were bigger across all the TA muscle in FRW and HIIT groups. The FCSA decrease in FOG fibers was accompanied by a circularity decrease of SO from SOL fibers (0.840 ± 0.005 vs. 0.783 ± 0.016 and vs. 0.788 ± 0.010), and a fiber and global field capillarization increase in both FRW and HIIT protocols. Moreover, FRW and HIIT animals exhibited increased cardiac mitochondrial respiratory control ratio with complex I-driven substrates (3.89 ± 0.14 vs. 5.20 ± 0.25 and vs. 5.42 ± 0.37). Data suggest that FRW induces significant functional, physiological, and biochemical adaptations similar to those obtained under an intermittent forced exercise regimen, such as HIIT.

We synthesized three dumbbell-like compounds 2a-c, each containing two C-60 groups at the periphery and pyromellitic diimide (PMDI) in the middle, and examined their electronic as well as assembly characteristics with both experimental and computational methods. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements revealed that each of three electron-accepting (AAA) triads could accommodate up to eight electrons. Computational studies (density functional theory, DFT) of 2a-c at PBEPBE/6-311G(d, p) level of theory, with B3LYP/6-31G(d) optimized geometries, revealed that HOMO-LUMO energy gaps are similar to those of the model compound [6,6]-phenyl-C-61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). Compounds 2a-c were also found to assemble into vesicles and nanoparticles on the copper grid (100-300 nm, TEM), while giving more sizeable aggregates after a deposition on the glass (SEM, gt 5 mm). Understanding the packing of 2a-c on various solid substrates, as well as the assembly characteristics in general, is important for tuning the properties and fabrication of electronic/optical devices. On the basis of the results of conformational analysis (MM and DFT calculations), we deduced that different alkyl spacers in 2a-c ought to play a role in pi-pi interactions between the aromatic components of the triad to guide the packing and therefore morphology of the material. Supplementary material: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3369]

Considering the intensive preparation of the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), we discussed the justification of the existing classification of emotional disorders with onset specific to childhood. This paper presents the citations from the ICD-10 (F93 block) and the authors? comments as a critical review of the justification of further existence of emotional disorders with onset specific to childhood as a separate block in ICD-11 classification. We concluded that the block F93 is insufficiently defined and should be completely changed or removed from the ICD-11 classification. Additionally, the specificities of the clinical picture of anxiety disorders in children should be adequately described within the future category of anxiety and phobic disorders by giving an explicit set of instructions for identifying clinical manifestations which vary by age.

The triplet excited-state formation efficiency in a flavin derivative was increased by the introduction of iodine into the molecular framework. The transient absorption measurements showed that the intersystem crossing rate was 1.1 X 10(10) s(-1) significantly faster than in the parent flavin compound. Furthermore, the photocatalytic efficiency of iodoflavin was evaluated using the oxidation of benzyl alcohol as a model reaction. The benzaldehyde product yields were higher when iodoflavin was used as a photocatalyst, showing that the increased triplet yield directly translates into improved photocatalysis. The iodoflavin catalyst also allowed the use of higher substrate concentrations (since the undesired electron transfer from singlet excited state was minimized), which is expected to improve the practical aspects of photocatalysis by flavins. This is peer-reviewed version of the following article: Korvinson, K. A.; Hargenrader, G. N.; Stevanovic, J.; Xie, Y.; Joseph, J.; Maslak, V.; Hadad, C. M.; Glusac, K. D. Improved Flavin-Based Catalytic Photooxidation of Alcohols through Intersystem Crossing Rate Enhancement. Journal of Physical Chemistry A 2016, 120 (37), 7294–7300. [https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpca.6b08405] Supplementary material: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3542]

Background Modern lifestyles, especially high-caloric intake and physical inactivity, contribute to the increased prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which becomes a significant health problem worldwide. Lifestyle changes, however, affect not only parental generation, but also their offspring, reinforcing the need for efficient preventive approaches to deal with this disease. This transgenerational influence of phenotypes dependent on parents (particularly maternal) behaviours may open additional research avenues. Despite persistent attempts to design an effective pharmacological therapy against NAFLD, physical activity, as a non-pharmacological approach, emerges as an exciting strategy. Scope of Review Here we briefly review the effect of physical exercise on liver mitochondria adaptations in NAFLD, highlighting the importance of mitochondrial metabolism and transgenerational and epigenetic mechanisms in liver diseases. Major Conclusions A deeper look into cellular mechanisms sheds a light on possible effects of physical activity in the prevention and treatment of NAFLD through modulation of function and structure of particular organelles, namely mitochondria. Additionally, despite of increasing evidence regarding the contribution of epigenetic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of different diseases, the role of microRNAs, DNA methylation, and histone modification in NAFLD pathogenesis still needs to be elucidated., Highlights • Modern lifestyle, including physical inactivity, contribute to NAFLD development. • Maternal lifestyle through epigenetic mechanisms may influence offspring health. • Exercise is a potential protective non-pharmacological strategy against NAFLD. • Exercise can modulate liver mitochondrial structure and function. • Exercise-related epigenetic mechanisms may explain exercise role in NAFLD treatment.