Skip to main content
About the Institute
  • English
  • Français
  • Español

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Microbiota 6 - March 2019
  3. Gut microbiota involved in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
  • Our publications
    • News
    • Microbiota Mag
    • Thematic folders
    • Overviews - Microbiota Magazine
  • About the Institute
    • Partnerships
    • Press room
  • Congresses
    • Congress calendar
    • Congress reviews
  • Continuing Medical Education
    • Accrediting courses
    • Xpeer App
  • Useful documents
    • Infographics
    • IBS Diagnosis Check List
    About the Institute

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube

Lay public section

Find here your dedicated section
Gastroenterology
Gynecology
Pediatrics
Dermatology

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Microbiota 6 - March 2019
  3. Gut microbiota involved in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Gastroenterology

Gut microbiota involved in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Liver condition

Press review

By Pr. Markku Voutilainen
Turku University Faculty of Medicine; Turku University Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology, Turku, Finland

Gastroenterology
Gynecology
Pediatrics
Dermatology
  • Our publications
    • News
    • Microbiota Mag
    • Thematic folders
    • Overviews - Microbiota Magazine
  • About the Institute
    • Partnerships
    • Press room
  • Congresses
    • Congress calendar
    • Congress reviews
  • Continuing Medical Education
    • Accrediting courses
    • Xpeer App
  • Useful documents
    • Infographics
    • IBS Diagnosis Check List
    About the Institute

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube

Lay public section

Find here your dedicated section

Sources

This article is based on scientific information

Sharing is caring

Your colleagues might be interested in this topic. Why not share it?

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail

Sections

About this article

Created 26 August 2021
Updated 05 January 2022

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in western countries and affects 25-30% of the general population. NAFLD is classified into simple fatty liver disease with no or minimal inflammation, and steatohepatitis (NASH), which is characterized by steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis. NASH may lead to cirrhosis, which is a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). NAFLD is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome.

Puri and Sanyal reviewed the role of the intestinal microbiome in NAFLD.[5] Increased adipose tissue mass with activation of the innate immune system leads to insulin resistance. Altered gut microbiota and increased intestinal permeability cause immune activation. Microbiome may also affect extra-intestinal organs by translocation, gut-derived neurohumoral signalling, and altering the nutritional substances absorbed from the intestine.

Chen and co-workers examined gut microbiota in the bile acid metabolism.[6] Microbiota produces enzymes that in the intestines convert primary bile acids (synthesised and conjugated in the liver) into secondary bile acids. Dysbiosis may lead to decreased synthesis of secondary bile acids, which in turn diminishes the activation of nuclear receptors such as farnesoid X receptor (FXR), pregnane X receptor, Takeda G-protein-coupled bile acid protein 5 (TGR5) and vitamin D receptor. These receptors play important roles in energy regulation and their dysfunction may play a role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Dysbiosis leads to increased bile acid deconjugation and is associated with disturbed lipid and cholesterol metabolism, weight increase and disturbed signalling.[6] Gut microbiota metabolises bile acids, conversely, bile acids are needed to maintain normal gut microbiota.

The gut microbiota is changed in NAFLD, but there is no uniform pattern.[6] Bacteria converting primary bile acids (C. leptum for example) are decreased in the faeces of NAFLD patients. Decreased FXR increases the synthesis of primary bile acids, gluconeogenesis, triglycerides and very-low-density lipoprotein synthesis. Thus decreased FXR as well as TGR5 may be involved in NAFLD pathogenesis. Modulation of gut microbiota could be an option for the treatment of NAFLD. Probiotics could adjust the whole bile acid pool instead of individual nuclear receptors.[6]

Variable definitions, histologic assessments and methods, as well as different bioinformatics approaches have been used. Thus it is difficult to draw generalisable conclusions of the microbiota changes in the pathogenesis of NAFLD.[5] The mechanisms that link microbiota changes to NAFLD pathogenesis are increased energy extraction in the gut and increased free fatty acid hepatic uptake, altered gut barrier function and endotoxemia with inflammation, altered bile acid and choline metabolism.

Loman and co-authors analysed the impact of pre- and probiotic treatment on NAFLD.[7] They identified 25 studies that fulfilled the PICOS* criteria: 9 assessed prebiotic, 11 probiotic and 7 symbiotic treatments. These therapies significantly reduced body mass index (BMI), hepatic transaminases and ν-glutamyltransferase, cholesterol and triglycerides levels. The effect of pro- and prebiotics were similar on BMI, liver enzymes and high-density cholesterol. The major weaknesses of the stu- dies were the lack of intestinal microbiota analysis, the heterogeneity of treatments, and their short duration. The present meta-analysis was, however, the first one to report simultaneous changes induced by microbiota treatment on weight, lipid metabolism and inflammation in NAFLD.

Sources

5 Puri P, Sanyal AJ. The intestinal microbiome in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Clin Liver Dis 2018 ; 22 : 121-32.

6 Chen J, Thomsen M, Vitetta L. Interaction of gut microbiota with dysregulation of bile acids in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and potential therapeutic implications of probiotics. J Cell Biochem 2019 Mar;120(3):2713-2720.

7 Loman BR, Hernández-Saavedra D, An R, et al. Prebiotic and probiotic treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review. Nutr Rev 2018 ; 76 : 822-39.

Tags
Gastroenterology Hepatology Dysbiosis Probiotics

en_view en_sources

    Focus
    Microbiota 6 - March 2019
    • Overview
      • Microbiota and celiac disease
    • Commented articles
      • Resilience of healthy adult gut microbiota following antibiotic exposure
      • Feeding practices from birth to 12 months: impact on the gut microbiota and the risk of being overweight
    • Congress review
      • Fecal transplantation - ready for prime time?
      • The gut microbiota: issues and challenges in the management of metabolic disorders
    • Press review
      • Proton pump inhibitors modify gut microbiome
      • Gut microbiota involved in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
    Created 26 August 2021
    Updated 05 January 2022

    About this article

    To know more about this topic.

    Main topic

    Liver condition

    Content type

    Press review
    Proton pump inhibitors modify gut microbiome
    Focus

    Microbiota 6 - March 2019

    Overview

    Microbiota and celiac disease

    Commented articles

    Resilience of healthy adult gut microbiota following antibiotic exposure Feeding practices from birth to 12 months: impact on the gut microbiota and the risk of being overweight

    Congress review

    Fecal transplantation - ready for prime time? The gut microbiota: issues and challenges in the management of metabolic disorders

    Press review

    Proton pump inhibitors modify gut microbiome Gut microbiota involved in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
    Gastroenterology
    SII, microbiote intestinal et dépression : un triptyque pour mieux comprendre la maladie
    27.07.2022

    IBS, gut microbiota and depression: a trio shedding light on the disease

    Read the article
    Actu PRO : Cancer du poumon : le microbiote intestinal signerait un stade précoce
    02.07.2020

    Gut microbiota could be an indicator of early-stage lung cancer

    Read the article
    Obesity: Is a bacterial fatty acid involved?
    15.05.2023

    Obesity: Is a bacterial fatty acid involved?

    Read the article
    Photo: Endométriose : une clé de sa progression au sein du microbiote intestinal
    09.05.2023

    Endometriosis: A key to its progression in the gut microbiota?

    Read the article
    16.11.2022

    Alcohol use disorders: in microbiota veritas?

    Read the article
    Photo: Atténuer la dénutrition avec des biotiques ?
    26.04.2023

    Mitigating malnutrition with biotics?

    Read the article
    25.04.2023

    F. prausnitzii : a biomarker of chronic fatigue syndrome

    Read the article
    Photo: Quand les interactions sociales façonnent nos microbiotes
    05.04.2023

    The role of social interactions in shaping our microbiota

    Read the article
    What's worth reading about microbiota
    Follow us on Twitter
    Read our thematic folder
    The Janus face of Antibiotics: Life Savers & Microbiota Disrupters
    Microbiota 17 EN
    Check out our latest magazine
    The first 1000 days of life
    • Our publications
      • News
      • Microbiota Mag
      • Thematic folders
      • Overviews - Microbiota Magazine
    • About the Institute
      • Partnerships
      • Press room
    • Congresses
      • Congress calendar
      • Congress reviews
    • Continuing Medical Education
      • Accrediting courses
      • Xpeer App
    • Useful documents
      • Infographics
      • IBS Diagnosis Check List
      About the Institute

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • LinkedIn
      • YouTube

    Lay public section

    Find here your dedicated section
    Gastroenterology
    Gynecology
    Pediatrics
    Dermatology
    • English
    • Français
    • Español

    Browse the site

    • Our publications
      • News
      • Microbiota Mag
      • Thematic folders
      • Overviews - Microbiota Magazine
    • About the Institute
      • Partnerships
      • Press room
    • Congresses
      • Congress calendar
      • Congress reviews
    • Continuing Medical Education
      • Accrediting courses
      • Xpeer App
    • Useful documents
      • Infographics
      • IBS Diagnosis Check List
      About the Institute

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • LinkedIn
      • YouTube

    Lay public section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Discover

    Gastroenterology
    Gynecology
    Pediatrics
    Dermatology

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube

    Lay public section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Redirection

    You are about to be redirected and leave our website

    • Be redirected
    • Stay on the Biocodex Microbiota Institute's website

    Stay with us !

    Join the Microbiota Community of HCPs and researchers and receive “Microbiota Digest” and "Microbiota Mag" to stay up to date on the latest news about microbiota.

    * Mandatory Fields

    BMI 20-35

    Explore

    Obesity: Is a bacterial fatty acid involved?
    15.05.2023

    Obesity: Is a bacterial fatty acid involved?

    Read the article
    Photo: Endométriose : une clé de sa progression au sein du microbiote intestinal
    09.05.2023

    Endometriosis: A key to its progression in the gut microbiota?

    Read the article
    Photo: Atténuer la dénutrition avec des biotiques ?
    26.04.2023

    Mitigating malnutrition with biotics?

    Read the article

    Stay updated

    Join the Microbiota Community of HCPs and researchers and receive “Microbiota Digest” and "Microbiota Mag" to stay up to date on the latest news about microbiota.

    * Mandatory Fields

    BMI 20-35

    • Our publications
      • News
      • Microbiota Mag
      • Thematic folders
      • Overviews - Microbiota Magazine
    • About the Institute
      • Partnerships
      • Press room
    • Congresses
      • Congress calendar
      • Congress reviews
    • Continuing Medical Education
      • Accrediting courses
      • Xpeer App
    • Useful documents
      • Infographics
      • IBS Diagnosis Check List
      About the Institute

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • LinkedIn
      • YouTube

    Lay public section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Discover

    Gastroenterology
    Gynecology
    Pediatrics
    Dermatology

    Lay public section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube

    © 2022 Biocodex. All rights reserved.

    • Cookies Policy
    • Data protection policy
    • GTU
    • Sitemap
    • Cookies settings
    Biocodex logo