title: Gut microbiota and liver diseases.
abstract: Several studies revealed that gut microbiota are associated with various human diseases, e.g., metabolic diseases, allergies, gastroenterological diseases, and liver diseases. The liver can be greatly affected by changes in gut microbiota due to the entry of gut bacteria or their metabolites into the liver through the portal vein, and the liver-gut axis is important to understand the pathophysiology of several liver diseases, especially non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatic encephalopathy. Moreover, gut microbiota play a significant role in the development of alcoholic liver disease and hepatocarcinogenesis. Based on these previous findings, trials using probiotics have been performed for the prevention or treatment of liver diseases. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the changes in gut microbiota associated with various liver diseases, and we describe the therapeutic trials of probiotics for those diseases.
authors: Masami Minemura, the Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors: Masami
authors: M
authors: Minemura
authors: Masami Minemura, the Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors: Yukihiro
authors: Y
authors: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D064307:Microbiota; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Gut microbiota; Hepatic encephalopathy; Immune system; Liver disease; Metabolites; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease