Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and animal models: understanding the human disease.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease includes a broad spectrum of liver abnormalities ranging from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients with primary NASH have the metabolic (or insulin resistance) syndrome, condition typically associated with obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. To understand the mechanisms implicated in development of NASH, animal models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease have been generated. These have greatly improved our understanding of some of the aspects of this disease. The challenge now is to identify the common mechanisms between the animal models and humans, which could eventually lead to a better prognosis and development of novel therapeutic strategies.
Varela-Rey
Marta
M
CIC bioGUNE, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (Ciberehd), Technology Park of Bizkaia, 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain.
Embade
Nieves
N
Ariz
Usue
U
Lu
Shelly C
SC
Mato
José M
JM
Martínez-Chantar
M Luz
ML
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans