Intestinal hormones, gut microbiota and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome and has a complex pathophysiology with multiple pathways of development and progression implicated. Intestinal hormones regulate multiple biological functions and may play a role in the pathogenesis of non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by affecting food intake, body weight and insulin resistance. Bacterial products can affect the secretion of these hormones and thus have an effect on metabolism. Gut microbiota are normally involved in the intestinal energy harvest and their role has been increasingly been implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity and NAFLD. The intestinal hormone pathways as well as the intestinal microbiota populations are potential therapeutic targets in the management of NAFLD. We review the evidence on the associations of the intestinal hormones and gut microbiota in the development, progression and treatment of NAFLD.