title: Translational approaches: from fatty liver to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
abstract: Over the past few decades, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one, if not the most common, cause of chronic liver disease affecting both adults and children. The increasing number of cases at an early age is the most worrying aspect of this pathology, since it provides more time for its evolution. The spectrum of this disease ranges from liver steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis and in some cases, hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD may not always be considered a benign disease and hepatologists must be cautious in the presence of fatty liver. This should prompt the use of the available experimental models to understand better the pathogenesis and to develop a rational treatment of a disease that is dangerously increasing. In spite of the growing efforts, the pathogenesis of NAFLD is still poorly understood. In the present article we review the most relevant hypotheses and evidence that account for the progression of NAFLD to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. The available in vitro and in vivo experimental models of NASH are discussed and revised in terms of their validity in translational studies. These studies must be aimed at the discovery of the still unknown triggers or mediators that induce the progression of hepatic inflammation, apoptosis and fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Natalia Rosso, Claudio Tiribelli, Stefano Bellentani, Norberto C Chavez-Tapia, Fondazione Italiana Fegato, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rosso
authors.affiliation: Natalia Rosso, Claudio Tiribelli, Stefano Bellentani, Norberto C Chavez-Tapia, Fondazione Italiana Fegato, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Norberto C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Chavez-Tapia
authors.affiliation: Natalia Rosso, Claudio Tiribelli, Stefano Bellentani, Norberto C Chavez-Tapia, Fondazione Italiana Fegato, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tiribelli
authors.affiliation: Natalia Rosso, Claudio Tiribelli, Stefano Bellentani, Norberto C Chavez-Tapia, Fondazione Italiana Fegato, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bellentani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D015398:Signal Transduction; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators
keywords: Experimental model; Fatty Liver; In vitro; Inflammation; Metabolic syndrome; Obesity
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