Clinical and Molecular Hepatology  2013;19(3):210-215

doi:10.3350/cmh.2013.19.3.210

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: molecular mechanisms for the hepatic steatosis.

Seung Hoi KOO 1

Affiliations

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Keywords

Free fatty acids; De novo lipogenesis; Fatty acid beta oxidation; TG secretion

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

Liver plays a central role in the biogenesis of major metabolites including glucose, fatty acids, and cholesterol. Increased incidence of obesity in the modern society promotes insulin resistance in the peripheral tissues in humans, and could cause severe metabolic disorders by inducing accumulation of lipid in the liver, resulting in the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD, which is characterized by increased fat depots in the liver, could precede more severe diseases such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and in some cases hepatocellular carcinoma. Accumulation of lipid in the liver can be traced by increased uptake of free fatty acids into the liver, impaired fatty acid beta oxidation, or the increased incidence of de novo lipogenesis. In this review, I would like to focus on the roles of individual pathways that contribute to the hepatic steatosis as a precursor for the NAFLD.