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Updated: May 12, 2026

In Vitro Modeling of Fat Deposition in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
Published on: July 19, 2024
Lipoprotein metabolism in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Zhenghui Gordon Jiang1, Simon C Robson, Zemin Yao
1Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA;
Abstract:
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), an escalating health problem worldwide, covers a spectrum of pathologies characterized by fatty accumulation in hepatocytes in early stages, with potential progression to liver inflammation, fibrosis, and failure. A close, yet poorly understood link exists between NAFLD and dyslipidemia, a constellation of abnormalities in plasma lipoproteins including triglyceride-rich very low density lipoproteins. Apolipoproteins are a group of primarily liver-derived proteins found in serum lipoproteins; they not only play an extracellular role in lipid transport between vital organs through circulation, but also play an important intracellular role in hepatic lipoprotein assembly and secretion. The liver functions as the central hub for lipoprotein metabolism, as it dictates lipoprotein production and to a significant extent modulates lipoprotein clearance. Lipoprotein metabolism is an integral component of hepatocellular lipid homeostasis and is implicated in the pathogenesis, potential diagnosis, and treatment of NAFLD.
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