Title:Hepatic Lipid Metabolism Disorder and Atherosclerosis
Volume: 22
Issue: 6
Author(s): Sen Zhang, Fenfang Hong, Chen Ma and Shulong Yang*
Affiliation:
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Department of Physiology, Fuzhou Medical College,
Nanchang University, Fuzhou, Jiangxi 344000, China
Keywords:
Hepatic lipid metabolism, atherosclerosis, reverse cholesterol transport, lipoprotein, gut microbiota, enterohepatic axis.
Abstract: Lipid metabolism disorder plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
As the largest metabolic organ of the human body, the liver has a key role in lipid metabolism
by influencing fat production, fat decomposition, and the intake and secretion of serum lipoproteins.
Numerous clinical and experimental studies have indicated that the dysfunction of hepatic
lipid metabolism is closely related to the onset of atherosclerosis. However, the identity and functional
role of hepatic lipid metabolism responsible for these associations remain unknown. This review
presented that cholesterol synthesis, cholesterol transport, and the metabolism of triglycerides,
lipoproteins, and fatty acids are all associated with hepatic lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis.
Moreover, the roles of gut microbiota, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress in the
pathological association between hepatic lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis are also discussed.
This significant evidence strongly supports that hepatic lipid metabolism disorders may increase
the risk of atherosclerosis.