title: Role of autophagy in the pathophysiology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a controversial issue.
abstract: Autophagy is a mechanism involved in cellular homeostasis under basal and stressed conditions delivering cytoplasmic content to the lysosomes for degradation to macronutrients. The potential role of autophagy in disease is increasingly recognised and investigated in the last decade. Nowadays it is commonly accepted that autophagy plays a role in the hepatic lipid metabolism. Hence, dysfunction of autophagy may be an underlying cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, controversy of the exact role of autophagy in the lipid metabolism exists: some publications report a lipolytic function of autophagy, whereas others claim a lipogenic function. This review aims to give an update of the present knowledge on autophagy in the hepatic lipid metabolism, hepatic insulin resistance, steatohepatitis and hepatic fibrogenesis.
authors: Wilhelmus J Kwanten, Peter P Michielsen, Sven M Francque, Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Paediatrics, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Province of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors: Wilhelmus J
authors: WJ
authors: Kwanten
authors: Wilhelmus J Kwanten, Peter P Michielsen, Sven M Francque, Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Paediatrics, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Province of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors: Wim
authors: W
authors: Martinet
authors: Wilhelmus J Kwanten, Peter P Michielsen, Sven M Francque, Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Paediatrics, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Province of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors: Peter P
authors: PP
authors: Michielsen
authors: Wilhelmus J Kwanten, Peter P Michielsen, Sven M Francque, Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Paediatrics, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Province of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors: Sven M
authors: SM
authors: Francque
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015398:Signal Transduction
keywords: Autophagy; Lipid metabolism; Lipophagy; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; Steatohepatitis