[The metabolism of free fatty acids in the liver]

The liver participates in the turnover rate of free fatty acids (FFA) with a third. A severe disruption of liver function that occurs in cirrhosis leads therefore to a pathogenetic relevant hyperlipacidaemia respectively increases that. With regard to its clinical relevance a survey is given of the FFA metabolism of the liver. The factors are described which influence the FFA uptake by this organ. In this connection the metabolic fate of the FFA in dependence on the hormonal nutritive state is depicted. The author deals with the relation of the hepatic FFA metabolism to that of triglycerides, cholesterol, ketone bodies, carbohydrates, amino acids and insulin. The importance of these relatons for the caloric homeostasis and for the pathogenesis of various acute and chronic functional disturbances (ketoacidosis, negative nitrogen-balance, hyperlipoproteinaemia, hyperinsulinism, atherosclerosis) is described.