Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Mitochondria As Players and Targets of Therapies?

Overview

Journal Int J Mol Sci

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Biochemistry
Chemistry
Molecular Biology

Date 2021 Jun 2

PMID 34065331

Citations 53

Authors

Agostino Di Ciaula

Salvatore Passarella

Harshitha Shanmugam

Marica Noviello

Leonilde Bonfrate

David Q-H Wang

Piero Portincasa

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease and represents the hepatic expression of several metabolic abnormalities of high epidemiologic relevance. Fat accumulation in the hepatocytes results in cellular fragility and risk of progression toward necroinflammation, i.e., nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis, and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma. Several pathways contribute to fat accumulation and damage in the liver and can also involve the mitochondria, whose functional integrity is essential to maintain liver bioenergetics. In NAFLD/NASH, both structural and functional mitochondrial abnormalities occur and can involve mitochondrial electron transport chain, decreased mitochondrial β-oxidation of free fatty acids, excessive generation of reactive oxygen species, and lipid peroxidation. NASH is a major target of therapy, but there is no established single or combined treatment so far. Notably, translational and clinical studies point to mitochondria as future therapeutic targets in NAFLD since the prevention of mitochondrial damage could improve liver bioenergetics.

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