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Incorporation of a Survivable Liver Biopsy Procedure in Mice to Assess Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis NASH Resolution
Published on: April 16, 2019
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Microbiota and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Kento Imajo1, Masato Yoneda, Yuji Ogawa
1Division of Gastroenterology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fuku-ura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan.
Seminars in Immunopathology
|December 17, 2013
Summary
The gut microbiota influences nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) through various mechanisms. Modulating the gut microbiota shows promise for treating obesity, diabetes, and NASH, though human data is limited.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Hepatology
- Metabolic Diseases
Background:
- Rising obesity rates correlate with increased nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
- The gut microbiota's role in NAFLD/NASH pathogenesis is increasingly recognized.
- Understanding these host-microbe interactions is crucial for therapeutic development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review mechanisms linking gut microbiota to liver dysfunction in NASH.
- To explore the therapeutic potential of microbiota manipulation for obesity, diabetes, and NASH.
Main Methods:
- Review of experimental models elucidating microbiota-liver disease connections.
- Analysis of studies on microbiota modulation strategies (probiotics, prebiotics, antibiotics, periodontitis treatment).
Main Results:
- Experimental models identified key pathways: increased energy harvest, small intestine bacterial overgrowth, altered intestinal barrier function, and obesity-induced inflammation (via LPS-CD14 and leptin).
- Periodontitis and sterile inflammation also emerged as contributing factors.
- Microbiota-targeted interventions demonstrated positive outcomes in preclinical studies.
Conclusions:
- The gut microbiota significantly impacts NASH development via multiple interconnected mechanisms.
- Targeting the gut microbiota offers a promising therapeutic avenue for obesity, diabetes, and NASH.
- Further human clinical trials are needed to validate these findings and therapeutic strategies.
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