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Updated: May 10, 2026
10:17
An Advanced Murine Model for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in Association with Type 2 Diabetes
Published on: April 26, 2019
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: a microbiota-driven disease
Alexander R Moschen1, Susanne Kaser, Herbert Tilg
1Department of Internal Medicine I, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, and Metabolism, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria.
Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism: TEM
|July 6, 2013
Summary
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a growing global health issue. Gut microbiota may drive liver inflammation and fat accumulation in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Gastroenterology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent condition linked to obesity and overnutrition.
- A subset of NAFLD patients (~10%) progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), characterized by liver inflammation, but the drivers are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of the intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and NASH.
- To investigate the mechanisms by which gut microbes may influence hepatic steatosis and inflammation.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical and experimental studies investigating the gut microbiota-liver axis in NAFLD/NASH.
- Analysis of data implicating microbial factors, Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α).
Main Results:
- Emerging evidence links intestinal microbiota composition to obesity and metabolic dysfunction, including NAFLD.
- Microbiota-derived factors are suggested to promote hepatic steatosis and inflammation via TLRs and TNF-α.
Conclusions:
- The gut microbiota is increasingly recognized as a significant factor in NAFLD development and progression to NASH.
- Targeting the gut microbiota represents a potential therapeutic strategy for managing NAFLD and NASH.
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