Circadian rhythms: a possible new player in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease pathophysiology

Apr 7, 2019Journal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany)

Body clock rhythms as a possible factor in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

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Abstract

Circadian clocks play a significant role in regulating physiological and metabolic homeostasis.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly recognized as a liver condition linked to lifestyle changes.
NAFLD can progress to more severe conditions such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
The development of NAFLD involves complex interactions of metabolic disruptions and genetic factors.
Understanding the regulation of circadian machinery may provide insights into the hormonal and metabolic imbalances associated with NAFLD progression.

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Over the last decades, a better knowledge of the molecular machinery supervising the regulation of circadian clocks has been achieved, and numerous findings have helped in unravelling the outstanding significance of the molecular clock for the proper regulation of our physiologic and metabolic homeostasis. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently considered as one of the emerging liver pathologies in the Western countries due to the modification of eating habits and lifestyle. Although NAFLD is considered a pretty benign condition, it can progress towards non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The pathogenic mechanisms involved in NAFLD development are complex, since this disease is a multifactorial condition. Major metabolic deregulations along with a genetic background are believed to take part in this process. In this light, the aim of this review is to give a comprehensive description of how our circadian machinery is regulated and to describe to what extent our internal clock is involved in the regulation of hormonal and metabolic homeostasis, and by extension in the development and progression of NAFLD/NASH and eventually in the onset of HCC.

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Circadian rhythms: a possible new player in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease pathophysiology

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