[Role of lipid peroxidation in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis]

The liver steatosis is a frequent human disease. The most frequent cause of the process is the alcohol consumption. But it also may arise without significant alcohol abuse. This pathogenetic process is called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), that is characterized by the same conditions like the alcoholic steatohepatitis. In the pathogenesis of the NASH various factors participate i.e. obesity, diabetes mellitus type II, hyperlipidaemia, pregnancy, variable chemotoxins, parenteral nutrition, jejunoileal bypass, chronic inflammatory diseases, protein deficient nutrition and inborn metabolic diseases. Pathobiochemically the process consists of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. This condition comes from the progressive accumulation of the free fatty acids in mitochondria and from the induction of cytochrome P450, CYP 2E1 isoform in hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. The free fatty acids and ketons can cause the induction of CYP 2E1 system, that is why diabetes mellitus and obesity are the two most important factors in the NASH pathogenesis. This article is concerned mainly in the explanation of NASH pathomechanism.