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Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Optimized Analysis of In Vivo and In Vitro Hepatic Steatosis
Published on: March 11, 2017
Changes in human hepatic metabolism in steatosis and cirrhosis
Zoe Schofield1, Michelle Ac Reed1, Philip N Newsome1
1Zoe Schofield, Sci-Phy-4-Health, EPSRC Research and Training Centre in Physical Sciences for Health, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Birmingham B152TT, United Kingdom.
Aim:
To understand the underlying metabolic changes in human liver disease we have applied nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics analysis to human liver tissue.
Methods:
We have carried out pilot study using 1H-NMR to derive metabolomic signatures from human liver from patients with steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or alcohol-related liver damage (ARLD) to identify species that can predict outcome and discriminate between alcohol and metabolic-induced liver injuries.
Results:
Changes in branched chain amino acid homeostasis, tricarboxylic acid cycle and purine biosynthesis intermediates along with betaine were associated with the development of cirrhosis in both ARLD and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Species such as propylene glycol and as yet unidentified moieties that allowed discrimination between NASH and ARLD samples were also detected using our approach.
Conclusion:
Our high throughput, non-destructive technique for multiple analyte quantification in human liver specimens has potential for identification of biomarkers with prognostic and diagnostic significance.
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Liver Physiology
Metabolic Regulation:
The liver is the central organ involved in regulating blood composition. It stabilizes blood glucose levels, maintaining them within the range of 70–110 mg/dL. When these levels drop, the liver breaks down glycogen reserves and releases glucose into the bloodstream. It can...

